Local 1 of the Wisconsin State Employees Association (WSEA) was a Madison-based labor union whose members were employees of government agencies, including but not limited to state offices, state parks, and universities. Local 1 was an affiliate of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), a national labor organization founded by members of the Wisconsin State Employees Association in 1935. Two of the founders of AFSCME, Arnold Zander and Matthew Felber, held membership in Local 1. Until 1942, the name “Local 1” referred to the branch of AFSCME that served all Wisconsin government workers. Prior to that time, locals of the Wisconsin State Employees Association were referred to as “chapters.” A reorganization in 1942 made WSEA chapters into locals, and the name Local 1 came to refer to the branch of WSEA that served Wisconsin state employees chiefly in the Madison area. After the reorganization, Local 1 further subdivided itself into Chapters, with each chapter representing a specific workplace.
Members of Local 1 sometimes referred to it as the “catch-all” union. After the 1942 restructuring, some state employees formed unions specific to their occupations. The remaining state employee chapters, chiefly but not exclusively those from administrative departments, reorganized themselves into Local 1. Because of this, Local 1 had a tendency to lose members to more focused local unions. In 1946, for example, some Local 1 members voted to leave Local 1 and join Local 171 which represented the University of Wisconsin Heat and Water Department.
Local 1's goals, as stated in its constitution, were to improve efficiency in civil service, to advance the welfare of civil service workers in Wisconsin, and to promote the organization of workers, particularly public employees. The union accomplished these goals by petitioning, advocating for specific reforms, cooperating with state officials, and promoting favorable legislation.
Local 1 maintained an office in Madison whose responsibility was to keep track of dues payments and disseminate information from AFSCME and WSEA to local members regarding union action around the nation, upcoming seminars and conventions, and legislation currently before Congress. The parent bodies of Local 1 (WSEA and AFSCME) expected the local to elect officers, hold regular meetings, and elect delegates for national and international AFSCME conventions. It was the responsibility of the board and officers of Local 1 to act on incoming correspondence and to attend meetings of WSEA and other labor organizations. The Local 1 Executive Board also appointed stewards to workplaces where there were no organized chapters. A grievance committee existed within Local 1 to deal with workplace problems submitted to them by members. The Executive Board had the responsibility of hearing the cases of employees who had been dismissed from civil service and acting on behalf of the Local to address such cases. From time to time Local 1 staged a membership drive to try to attract more members and to reinstate those whose memberships had lapsed. Local 1 had five standing committees as specified in its constitution: education and program, publicity, membership, auditing, and entertainment and social.
Presidents of WSEA Local 1 for the period covered by the records include Gordon Chapman, H.C. Thayer, Matthew Felber, Erwin Voigt, Luke McSherry, Peter Haskins, Monica McMahon, Ray Connor, Mat Schleck, Arthur Richardson, Edward Bull, and John Reynolds. In 1970 WSEA changed its name to the Wisconsin State Employees Union (WSEU).
