Arrangement
The materials are organized into five series: (I) Administrative Records, (II) Correspondence, (III) Subject Files, (IV) Financial Records, and (V) Ephemera. The materials are arranged by record type, and then chronologically.
Administrative/Biographical History
Although individual building trade local unions in DeKalb County trace their history to the late nineteenth century, it was not until 1938 these locals united into the DeKalb County Building and Construction Trades Council. The various unions in the construction industry came together to address needs within DeKalb County and vicinity. Through the years the Council's members have represented such labor groups as: Boilermakers, Bricklayers, Carpenters, Cement Masons, Ceramic Tile & Terrazzo workers, Electricians, Heat and Frost Insulators, Asbestos Workers, Iron Workers, Millwrights, Operators, Painters, Plasters, Plumbers & Pipefitters, Roofers, Sheet Metal Workers, and Teamsters.
The Council's basic tasks were to promote cooperation between local unions, to present a united front to management, and to expand the role of organized labor in the DeKalb construction industry. To accomplish these goals the Council oversaw and coordinated the enforcement of building trades union contracts, promoted organized labor through special events, maintained an "unfair" list of non-union contractors, and issued cards and buttons to members of affiliated local unions.
The Council continues to perform several functions including overseeing picket lines, settling jurisdiction disputes between unions, lobbying for labor legislation, contractor/customer satisfaction; budget concerns; safety and training; and labor-management relations. It is affiliated with the AFL-CIO's Building & Construction Trades Department in Washington, D.C.
