DeKalb County Building and Construction Trades Council Records, 1949-2001 | Northern Illinois University

Collection Overview

Title: DeKalb County Building and Construction Trades Council Records, 1949-2001

ID: RHC/RC/314

Extent: 2.25 Linear Feet

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.

Date Acquired: 05/25/2011

Subjects: Building Trades, Courthouses Illinois- DeKalb County, Davis-Bacon Act, DeKalb (Ill.), Politics and government, DeKalb County (Ill), Democratic Party, Elections--United States, Labor, Labor unions, Legislators, Northern Illinois University, Ogle County (Ill)

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The collection consists of the records of the DeKalb County Building and Construction Trades Council from 1950 to 2001. The records include administrative files, minutes, correspondence, printed materials, legal documentation, and audio-visual materials. The records reflect the organization’s activities as a labor union. The correspondence includes letters from individuals, labor organizations, private companies, and public organisms. The minutes have many gaps, especially before 1980.

Collection Historical Note

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.

Subject/Index Terms

Building Trades
Courthouses Illinois- DeKalb County
Davis-Bacon Act
DeKalb (Ill.), Politics and government
DeKalb County (Ill)
Democratic Party
Elections--United States
Labor
Labor unions
Legislators
Northern Illinois University
Ogle County (Ill)

Administrative Information

Repository: Northern Illinois University

Access Restrictions: There are no restrictions on access to the collection.

Use Restrictions: Property rights in the collection belong to the Regional History Center; literary rights are dedicated to the public.

Acquisition Source: Dana Yarak

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series I.: Administrative Records],
[Series II.: Correspondence],
[Series III.: Subject Files],
[Series IV.: Financial Records],
[Series V.: Ephemera],
[All]

Series IV.: Financial Records

Box 4

Folder 1-4: Financial Secretary's Receipt Book, 1981-1995
Folder 5: LM3/LM4 Forms and Documentation, 1977-1994
Folder 6: Receipt Book, 1988-1989
Folder 7: Receipts, 1976-1996
Folder 8: Received of Petty Cash Booklet, no date
Folder 9: Treasurer's Cash Book, 1975-1980
Folder 10: Treasurer's Report, 1949, 1956

Browse by Series:

[Series I.: Administrative Records],
[Series II.: Correspondence],
[Series III.: Subject Files],
[Series IV.: Financial Records],
[Series V.: Ephemera],
[All]