The records primarily document the founding and activities of the Wisconsin State Council of Machinists from 1941 to 1964.
Minutes of quarterly Council meetings comprise the largest portion of the collection; however, several years in the 1950's are incomplete and minutes for a few conferences are totally absent. Though sketchy in documenting the reasons for action, minutes include attached delegate reports, bylaws, correspondence, and resolutions. Also filed here are minutes of meetings of the financial secretaries of member lodges, which contain information on individual lodge finances.
The Council's Education Committee file describes the activities of the MNPL legislative lobbyist, B. J. Parker, and contains the report on industrial anti-union espionage from Senator Robert M. La Follette's 1936 subcommittee.
A significant portion of the collection concerns organizing work and includes newspapers and other literature produced by local lodges. Also present is a 1946 manual compiled by the Council for the use of local stewards, several early contracts (1901-1927) between locals of IAM District 10, Milwaukee, and area employers, and one folder of miscellany.
