International Union of Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers, Local 182 (Hickory, N.C.) Records Initial Inventory (#5026)

Manuscripts Department, Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Contact Information:

Manuscripts Department

CB#3926, Wilson Library

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 27514-8890

Phone: 919/962-1345

Fax: 919/962-3594

Email: mss@email.unc.edu

URL: http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/

Processed by

James M. Roth

Date Completed

February 2001

Encoded by

James M. Roth

Descriptive Summary Including Abstract

Title

International Union of Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers, Local 182 (Hickory, N.C.) Records (#5026) 1961-1997

Creator

International Union of Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers, Local 182 (Hickory, N.C.).

Extent

About 7,800 items (13.5 linear feet)

Repository

Southern Historical Collection

Abstract

In 1958, a group of workers at the General Electric Company plant in Hickory, N.C., proposed forming a labor union to improve working conditions and rates of pay. Although met by strong opposition, the workers won an election to organize. In 1961, the International Union of Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers (IUE), CIO, chartered Local 182, an affiliate of IUE District 1, to serve the plant. In 1997, General Electric determined that the Hickory factory was no longer profitable, shut it down, and moved the work to Monterrey, Mexico. Records, 1961-1997, of the International Union of Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers, Local 182 (Hickory, N.C.), document the labor union's political, business, and social services to electric industry workers at the Hickory, N.C., General Electric Company plant. Records are sorted into rough series: organization; business; minutes; plans, projects, and programs; reports; correspondence; bulletins and newsletters; elections; membership; and photographs with the bulk of the materials in correspondence, bulletins and newsletters, and minutes.

Administrative Information

Access

RESTRICTED: Box 10 is closed until 2076.

Usage Restrictions

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Provenance

Transferred from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J., June 2000 (Acc. 98672), and received from A. C. Crotts of Hickory, N.C., December 2000 (Acc. 98799).

Online Catalog Terms

Electric industry workers--Labor unions--North Carolina.

Electric industry workers--North Carolina.

General Electric Company--History.

Hickory (N.C.)--History.

Industries--North Carolina--Hickory.

International Union of Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers. Local 182 (Hickory, N.C.).

Labor union members--North Carolina.

Labor unions--North Carolina.

Working class--North Carolina.

Historical Note

In 1958, a group of workers at the General Electric Company plant in Hickory, N.C., proposed forming a labor union to improve working conditions and rates of pay. Although met by strong opposition, the workers won an election to organize. In 1961, the International Union of Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers (IUE), CIO, chartered Local 182, an affiliate of IUE District 1, to serve the General Electric plant. By 1963, the members had purchased land for a union hall near the plant. Members of Local 182 dedicated the new union hall in 1966.

The union organized strikes, including a 101-day strike, 1969-1970; filed grievances with the National Labor Relations Board; and sponsored social activities, including organizing Christmas parties, packing fruit baskets for striking members, and participating in Labor Day parades, beauty pageants in Asheville, N.C., and other social events.

For 40 years, members of Local 182 made electric transformers at the Hickory plant. In 1997, General Electric determined that the Hickory factory was no longer profitable, shut it down, and moved the work to Monterrey, Mexico. Members of Local 182 closed the union hall in 1997.

Collection Overview

Records, 1961-1997, of the International Union of Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers, Local 182 (Hickory, N.C.), (IUE) document the labor union's political, business, and social services to electric industry workers at the General Electric Company plant in Hickory, N.C. Materials include correspondence, bulletins, newsletters, minutes, constitutions, agreements, inventories, job descriptions and evaluations, plans, projects, programs, property, audit reports, financial statements, ledgers, committee reports, newspaper clippings, election materials, and membership information.

The records are sorted into rough series: organization; business; minutes; plans, projects, and programs; reports; correspondence; bulletins and newsletters; elections; membership; and photographs with the bulk of the materials in correspondence, bulletins and newsletters, and minutes.

Description

Items Separated

Items separated include photographs (P-5026), oversize photographs (OP-P-5026), photograph albums (PA-5026/1-2), and oversize volumes (V-5026/S-1-2).