The Wisconsin State Council of Carpenters (WSCC) is a statewide organization composed of local unions and district councils affiliated with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. The Wisconsin organization, which was founded at Madison in 1919, has four general officers: president, first and second vice presidents, and secretary-treasurer. These officers, together with one representative of each of the state's district councils compose the WSCC executive committee and preside over the organization between conventions. F.E. Gastrow of Madison was the WSCC's first president, and served until 1941. Since then the office has been filled by six other individuals: J.A. Hathaway, 1941-1946; Walter Jensen, 1946-1958; John V. Meyett, 1958; Robert H. Strenger, 1958-1963; Ronald Stadler, 1963-1975; and Floyd Johnson, 1975-. The number and location of district councils have varied. The collection contains records of eight councils, but at this writing only four (Central Wisconsin, Fox River Valley, Wisconsin River Valley, and Milwaukee) are active.
The objective of the WSCC is to provide a central organization for the state's local unions and district councils. In this capacity it assists in organizing new locals, advises and assists locals in negotiations and conflicts with employers, funnels information to locals and district councils from the Brotherhood's international office, and gives the carpenters a centralized voice on legislation and other political matters. In addition to its lobbying and organizing activities, the WSCC benefits its members in a number of other ways. Probably its most significant accomplishments have been the creation of Wisconsin State Carpenters Welfare and Pension Funds and the carpenter's apprenticeship program. Moreover, it has annually published the Carpenter and Builder and, since the late 1950s, has sponsored contests for scholarships to the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
