Title: Union Labor Publishing Company Records
Inclusive Dates: 1939-1963

Creator:

• Union Labor Publishing Company (Racine, Wis.)

Call Number: Parkside Mss 40

Quantity: 0.6 c.f. (2 archives boxes)

Repository:

Housed at the Archives & Area Research Center, Library/Learning Center, University of Wisconsin-Parkside; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

UW-Parkside Library / Parkside Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Abstract:

Records of a non-profit corporation organized in 1941 to publish Racine Labor, a weekly newspaper for and controlled by Racine, Wisconsin's local unions. The organization was also a member of the Union Co-Operative Publishing Company of Kenosha, Wis. Records include articles of incorporation, annual meeting minutes, board of directors minutes, correspondence, financial records, contracts, and newspaper clippings.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-pks0040

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The Union Labor Publishing Company was incorporated as a non-profit non-stock corporation on February 14, 1941. At the first meeting of the corporation, held on February 27, the members elected W. D. Hancock, Frank King, Adolph Larsen, Harry Lenhert, George Matson, Aaron Mentch, Jack Schmidt, and Harold Thompson to the Board of Directors. W. D. Hancock, a representative of the Teamsters Union, was the company's first president.

The company was organized for the purpose of publishing Racine Labor, a weekly newspaper which endeavored to bring the views of labor to the people of Racine. The paper served as a public relations agent for Racine's local unions and had a circulation of between 7,000 and 9,000 throughout the period covered by the records. Most of its revenue was derived from advertising. In addition to its weekly editions, the company published special Labor Day and year-end editions. It was also a member of the Union Cooperative Publishing Company of Kenosha which published The Kenosha Labor. Its office was located at 419 Sixth Street in Racine.

Originally the corporation was controlled jointly by the Racine Trades and Labor Council (AFL) and the United Automobile Workers Council #8 (CIO) until 1951 when Council #8 was dissolved and replaced by the Racine County Industrial Union Council. After 1959 the corporation was controlled by representatives of all local unions subscribing to the paper with proportional representation based on the number of members in the unions. Loren Norman was editor of the paper throughout the period covered by the records. Harold Thompson was the company's secretary from 1941 to 1963 and Frank King served as treasurer from 1941 to 1961. Norbert Pell became president of the corporation in 1946 and served in that capacity until 1949 when Gilbert Niesen replaced him. Niesen was president until 1959 when Dean Jensen succeeded him.

The records consist of Correspondence pertaining to the Board of Directors meetings, personnel, circulation, advertising, financial matters, and similar topics related to the internal functioning of the company.

The Corporate Records include a complete set of annual meeting minutes where the election of members to the Board of Directors and changes in the constitution and by-laws were the main topics of discussion. Board of Directors minutes cover such topics as editorial policies, financial matters, election of officers, contracts, subscription rates, and physical changes in the company's office. There are some gaps in the Board of Directors minutes, the longest from December 1958 to September 1960. The financial records include balance sheets which appear at irregular intervals for the period from 1941 to 1951, but from 1951 on they are found generally on a monthly basis.

Among the Miscellaneous Records are clippings, primarily pertaining to members of the Board of Directors, and contracts with advertising agents and between the company and the American Newspaper Guild Local 159, the United Office Employees Local Union #1738, and the Office Employees International Union Local #9. The information about the Union Cooperative Publishing Company, Kenosha, includes descriptive material and financial statements.

Copies of Racine Labor, 1941-1975, are available on microfilm at the Parkside Area Research Center.

Acquisition Information

Presented by the Union Labor Publishing Company via Earle Poulsen, 1977. Accession Number: M77-551

Processing Information

Processed by Margaret Hedstrom, November 9, 1978.

Box   1 Folder   1-2	Correspondence, 1942-1963
	Corporate Records
Box   1 Folder   3	Articles of Incorporation, 1941, 1950, 1952, 1959
Box   1 Folder   4	Annual Meeting Minutes, 1941-1962
Box   1 Folder   5-6	Board of Directors Minutes, 1941-1963
Box   1 Folder   7	Miscellaneous Committee Minutes, 1950-1951
	Financial Records
	Balance Sheets
Box   1 Folder   8	1941-1953
Box   2 Folder   1-2	1954-1963
Box   2 Folder   3	Delinquent Accounts, 1951-1956
Box   2 Folder   4	Miscellaneous Financial Records, 1951-1961
	Miscellaneous Records
Box   2 Folder   5	Clippings, 1945-1963
Box   2 Folder   6	Contracts, 1951-1961
Box   2 Folder   7	Membership Lists, 1950, undated
Box   2 Folder   8	Information about the Union Cooperative Publishing Co., Kenosha, 1939, 1948-1949