Title: Journeymen Barbers' International Union of America. Local 379: Records
Inclusive Dates: 1907-1972

Creator:

• Journeymen Barbers' International Union of America. Local 379 (Kenosha, Wis.)

Call Number: Parkside Mss 38

Quantity: 3.6 c.f. (9 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 Barbers' Local 379 mainly documenting routine membership and financial affairs. Correspondence, minutes, membership and financial records also contain some brief information on strike and organizing activities, the Depression, communists in the labor movement in the 1930's, enforcement of health codes, and state regulatory legislation.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-pks0038

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The Journeymen Barbers' International Union of America granted a charter to Local 379 of Kenosha in 1904. The Local began with seven members and added fourteen more before the year ended. It was associated with the American Federation of Labor at least as early as 1917. The problems of maintaining a strong union were complicated by several factors. Barbers were in part regulated by law and the union shared responsibility and authority for policing the trade with the State Board of Health. Moreover, barbering was an inherently decentralized trade of independent entrepreneurs, vulnerable not only to non-union shops but also to employers organizations such as the Master Barbers' Association and the Boss Barbers. In the 1930's, Local 379 leaders perceived an additional threat to the whole union movement: communist infiltration. More recently, the International union was racked with a pension fund scandal, and a reform slate of candidates challenged the incumbent national officers. The pension fund was placed in receivership by Federal court order in 1971. Local 379 has continued to function, with perhaps a dozen members from the 1950's and earlier.

The collection provides considerable information on routine internal functions but little on attitudes and issues. The perspective is generally that of the leadership. Inferences on barbers and the barbering trade, such as job, geographic, and status mobility, may be made from the responses given on membership forms and records. Much of that information may also be exploitable by aggregate data analysis techniques or be linked with other records in a local community study. There are, unfortunately, significant time gaps in every type of record.

The collection is divided into two series: Correspondence and Records. CORRESPONDENCE, 1921-1972, is arranged in three subseries. General correspondence from Journeymen Barbers' International Union to Local 379 relates mainly to the routine affairs of forms, applications, dues, benefits, and office supplies. There is some discussion of issues relating to organizing and strike policy, relations with other unions, and threats from the right--The Master Barbers' Association--and the left--the Communist Party. There is little of detail or private opinion on the Pension Fund Scandal. (See also Box 7, Folder 1.) The grievance folder of the International's correspondence relates to disputes about the membership status of four members of the Local, one of whom was accused of malfeasance in office, and the sick benefits due a fifth. The correspondence of Journeymen Barbers' Local 379 is again mostly routine with some revealing information on a few issues. The final subseries, Wisconsin Barbers No. 1, includes circular letters, reports of conventions, and minutes of meetings. Almost one-third of it is for the years 1946-1947.

RECORDS are subdivided into General and Procedural, and Financial. There is some overlap here: monthly reports have some financial information and the Daily Cashbooks have some membership information. The General and Procedural subseries contains bound and loose material relating to the initiation, apprentice-ship, transfer, dues, benefits, and “retirement” (that is, inactive membership while working at a different occupation) of members of Local 379. There is some documentation of the Local's labor activities and civic and charitable participation. One thin folder of historical information has a scattering of clippings, artifacts, and one very brief account (1935?) of the granting of the first charter in 1904. There is some mention of such issues as prices and closing times in the Minute Books. There are some reports and circulars regarding state and national issues in Box 6, Folder 7 and Box 7, Folders 1-4.

Financial Records contain a number of bookkeeping forms and volumes, some of which have overlapping information. Receipts and expenditures for the Local are documented in varying detail. It is not the Archives' usual practice to save cancelled checks and check stubs but in this case they provide an important substitute for years when reports and summaries are missing. These check records and particularly the benefit check receipts from the International give an important measure of the finances and relief program of the Union during the early Depression. Additional information on relief at that time is given inside the covers of Ledgers, Vol. XI and XII (Folders 4 and 5 in Box 4).

Acquisition Information

Presented by Gabe Ruffalo, Kenosha, Wisconsin, 1976. Accession Number: M76-321

Processing Information

Processed by Robert S. Newbery and Joanne Hohler, January 1979.

	Series: Correspondence
	Journeymen Barbers' International Union to Local 379
Box   1 Folder   1-4	General, 1921, 1928, 1930-56, [1957-67], 1970-72
Box   1 Folder   5	Grievance, Bisciglia, 1940; LeRoy, , 1938; Montemurro, , 1931; Savaglio, , 1940;Smith, , 1940
Box   1 Folder   6	Journeymen Barbers Local 379, 1916, 1921, 1938-45, 1960, 1964-66, 1969-70, undated
Box   1 Folder   7	Wisconsin Barbers No. 1, 1930-32, 1937, 1941-49, 1951-53, 1957-58
	Series: Records	⇧
	General and Procedural
	Membership Records
Box   2 Folder   1-6	Monthly Reports, 1917-39; 1946-59; 1962, Dec.; 1965, Jan.-Nov. Scope and Content Note: Documents changes in the membership of Local 379; dues and fees owed to the International.
	Ledgers
Box   2 Folder   7	1907-1912
Box   3 Folder   1-5	1918-1930
Box   4 Folder   1-5	1930-1939
Box   5 Folder   1-3	1944-1950
Box   5 Folder   4	1951-1967
Box   5 Folder   5-8	Membership Forms and Lists, 1912-1962
Box   6 Folder   1	Apprentice Indentures, 1951, 1957-1960
Box   6 Folder   2-5	Minute Books, Jan. 27, 1930 - Dec. 23, 1935; Jan. 24, 1944 - Apr. 25, 1966 Physical Description: 3 vols., bound and unbound minutes of one meeting, [1957?]
	Related Documents, 1901-71
Box   6 Folder   6	Historical Information, [1917-37]
Box   6 Folder   7	Constitutions, Contracts, and Agreements, [1918-64]
Box   7 Folder   1	Charitable and Civic Activities, [1924-59], undated
Box   7 Folder   2	State and National Conventions and Conferences, Barbers Unions, AFL, and AFL-CIO, 1928, 1929, 1946, 1948, 1956, 1958, 1963, 1971
Box   7 Folder   3	Laws and Legislation, Kenosha and Wisconsin [1928-71], undated; other United States municipalities, , circa 1937
Box   7 Folder   4	Printed Pamphlets, Reports, and Speeches, [1936-71]
Box   7 Folder   5	Elections and Pension Fund, 1970-71
	Financial
Box   7 Folder   6-7	Summarized Monthly Reports, Jan. 1930-Dec. 1962; Jan.-Nov., 1964
Box   7 Folder   8	Receipts for Dues, from various organizations of which Local 379 was a member, [1928-1969].
Box   7 Folder   9-10	Income Tax, Quarterly and Yearly Withholding Reports, [1938-68]
	Miscellaneous receipts and bills
Box   8 Folder   1	Local 379, [1926-57].
Box   8 Folder   2	Wisconsin Barbers No. 1, [1928-55]
Box   8 Folder   3-11	Summary of Receipts and Expenditures (Secretary-Treasurer's Cash Book or Expense Book), Local 379, May 1924-Oct. 1928; June 1937-Aug. 1963
	Daily Cash Book, Local 379
Box   8 Folder   12-15	1930-1949
Box   9 Folder   1-4	1950-1965
Box   9 Folder   5	Cancelled Checks and Receipts, Local 379, 1929-37, 1965-67