DATE: ca. 1984 - 2001, primarily representing the 1990s
CREATOR: various
SCOPE: Papers, records, video recordings, ephemera, and other related documents regarding the UNITE labor union and the Levis-Strauss textile company. The majority of items in this collection are directly related to the Partnership Agreement reached by UNITE and Levi Strauss and Co.
A finding aid to this collection is available for download: M-272 UNITE Finding Aid (.rtf)
EXTENT: 45 boxes of material, grouped by year.
HISTORY & PROVENANCE: The UNITE (Union of Needle trades, Industrial, and Textile Employees) was organized in 1995 through the merger of the ILGWU (International Ladies Garment Workers Union) and the ACTWU (Amalgamnated Clothing and Textile Workers Union). Further information about the union is available at www.unitehere.org.
This collection was donated to the St. Louis Mercantile Library in 2005 by Joan Suarez, who worked in the field of labor relations since 1962, and was the Regional Director and International Vice-President of UNITE from 1987-2001.
An interview with Joan Suarez, recorded in 2006 by KWMU public radio for the "Her Story" feature, is available in streaming audio (.mp3 8:00).
SEE ALSO: For related UNITE documents and archive collections researchers should consult the Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Martin O. Catherwood Library, Cornell University.
ACCESS: This collection is available for on-site use only in the Rare Book and Manuscripts Reading Room. Some of the material in Special Collection M-272 may be photocopied, digitally scanned or photographed, subject to condition. For collections marked limited access, researchers are advised to contact the library at least three business days in advance of their visit to submit a request to view the physical material.
A finding aid to this collection is available for download: M-272 UNITE Finding Aid (.rtf)
Researchers are advised to call ahead concerning changes in hours due to University intersessions and holidays. The St. Louis Mercantile Library is located on levels one and two of the Thomas Jefferson Library building.
In observance of security procedures, certain services may not be available shortly before the daily closing time.
Preferred Citation: When citing the material from this collection, the preferred citation is: From the Special Collections of the St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri – St. Louis.
