UNION CLUB AT SUN CITY, ARIZONA
Scope and Content Note: Burke retired to Sun City after forty years in labor movement. Found Phoenix area and Sun City filled with poor social policy, newspapers filled with anti-labor articles and editorials. Few in Sun City retirement community would admit labor background because of disdain shown by most residents. I. W. Abel and Larry Spitz, Burke's former USWA administrative assistant, organized a forum and meeting place for retired trade unionists after discovering thousands lived in retirement in Sun City. Fifty or sixty attended first meeting; in 1982 after two and one-half years the Union Club had membership of 1800, representing over fifty international unions. Viable, ongoing, activist organization has conducted price watches over food-store items, engaged in legislative lobbying in interests of retired people, and established consulting committee for residents to turn to when need home repairs done at fair price. Attendance at each meeting now averages from 700-1000. Vicious accusations of Union Club consisting of “labor goons” has died down since purpose of Club has become evident.