Guide to the Alaska State AFL-CIO records
1943-1989
Collection number: HMC-0029.
Creator: Alaska State AFL-CIO.
Title: Alaska State AFL-CIO records.
Dates: 1943-1989.
Volume of collection: 2.1 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are in English.
Collection summary: Records of a union organization in Alaska.
Organizational history:
The Alaska Territorial Federation of Labor was formed in 1943. The purpose of the union included securing a united front among various labor unions in matters affecting the interests of workers, organizing all branches of labor to establish and maintain the highest possible wage rates and to reduce the number of hours of the workday and the work week, and to further harmonious relations between labor and management. After statehood, the organization became the Alaska State Federation of Labor. Later, in the 1970s it became the Alaska State AFL-CIO.
Collection description:
This collection contains records and files of the Alaska State AFL-CIO and records relating to smaller organizations that belonged to it. Included are the constitution, annual and biennial meeting records, executive council minutes, papers and correspondence files, subject files, and historical files. The bulk of the materials predate 1968.
Arrangement: The collection is arranged into seven series:
Series 1: Constitution records; 1950-1987
Series 2: Annual and biennial convention records; 1943-1986
Series 3: Executive board records; 1948-1960, 1987
Series 4: Financial records; 1943-1987
Series 5: Papers and correspondence; 1944-1988
Series 6: Subject files; 1951-1987
Series 7: Heart of Alaska’s Labor Movement oral history audiocassettes; 1988-1989
Digitized copies: This collection has not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: Copyright to collection contents may vary. Please consult with the Archives for further details.
Preferred citation: Alaska State AFL-CIO records, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Separated materials: Three photographic reprints of union group photographs from 1907-1911 were moved into EPH-0347.
Acquisition note: A portion of the collection was given to the archives by Mano Frey, president of Alaska State AFL-CIO, and by Lorena Showers in 1990. Papers were added in 1992 and 1995 by K. Dougherty, the 1995 materials given on behalf of Anna Belle Stevens. The oral history recordings were given to the Archives in 2005 by the Alaska State District Council of Laborers, Laborers International Union of North America, AFL-CIO.
Processing information: This collection was initially arranged and described in 1990. The description was updated as additional materials came in. The guide was rewritten to meet current standard and additional description provided by Arlene Schmuland in 2017. Publications not created by the organization or member organizations were removed. The oral history recordings, which had been a separate collection, were merged into this collection at the time.
Container list:
Series 1: Constitution records; 1950-1987. 0.05 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 1/1 | Alaska Territorial Federation preamble and constitution, Alaska State AFL-CIO constitution | 1950-1987 |
| 1/2 | Amendments and resolutions | undated |
Series 2: Annual and biennial convention records; 1943-1986. 0.85 cubic feet.
Includes programs, correspondence, agendas, voting records, meeting minutes, proceedings, and notes. Some historical summary notes appear to have been generated much later. Generally arranged chronologically by convention.
| Box/ Folder |
Description | Dates |
| 1/3 | Convention registers of delegates | 1943-1948 |
| 1/4 | Convention organization and correspondence | 1943 |
| 1/5 | Convention correspondence | 1944 |
| 1/6 | 3rd annual convention records | 1945 |
| 1/7 | 4th annual convention records | 1946 |
| 1/8 | 5th annual convention proceedings | 1947 |
| 1/9 | 6th annual convention records | 1948 |
| 1/10 | 7th annual convention records | 1949 |
| 1/11 | 8th annual convention records | 1950 |
| 1/12 | 10th annual convention records | 1952 |
| 1/13 | 11th annual convention records | 1954 |
| 1/14 | 12th annual convention records | 1956 |
| 1/15 | Educational conference records | 1957 |
| 1/16 | 13th annual convention records | 1958 |
| 1/17 | 14th annual convention records | 1960 |
| 1/18 | Union Label Style Show | 1961 |
| 1/19 | 15th annual convention records | 1962 |
| 1/20 | 16th annual convention records | 1964 |
| 1/21 | 17th annual convention records | 1966 |
| 1/22 | 18th biennial convention program | 1968 |
| 1/23 | 19th biennial convention program and minutes | 1970 |
| 1/24 | 20th biennial convention records | 1972 |
| 1/25 | 21st biennial convention records | 1974 |
| 1/26 | 22nd biennial convention records | 1976 |
| 1/27 | 23rd biennial convention program | 1978 |
| 1/28 | 26th biennial convention records | 1984 |
| 1/29 | Biennial convention records | 1986 |
Series 3: Executive board records; 1948-1960. 0.1 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 2/1 | Minutes and related information | 1948-1953 |
| 2/2 | Minutes and related information | 1954-1960 |
Series 4: Financial Records; 1943-1987. 0.1 cubic feet.
This series includes the surviving financial records from the organization. The cash ledger documents dues paid to the territorial organization from member unions, expenses, and other financial transactions. The reports and statements include general financial information for the organization. Additional financial information may be found in the Executive board records and the annual convention proceedings.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 2/3 | Daily cash ledger | 1943-1947 |
| 2/4 | Financial reports and statements | 1953, 1967-1968 |
| 2/5 | Financial reports and statements | 1985-1987 |
Series 5: Papers and correspondence; 1944-1988. 0.4 cubic feet.
Includes incoming and outgoing correspondence of the organization and attachments as well as other documentation. Topics include union activities, political involvement, and other business of the organization such as the creation of a newspaper and constitutional amendments. The series seems to have been created as an artificial grouping of materials that did not fit into other series. Arranged chronologically by year.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 2/6 | Correspondence | undated |
| 2/7 | Outgoing correspondence | 1944 |
| 2/8 | Education of Native Children in Alaska article | 1946 |
| 2/9 | Incoming and outgoing correspondence, notes | 1947 |
| 2/10 | Incoming and outgoing correspondence, notes | 1948 |
| 2/11 | Incoming and outgoing correspondence, notes | 1949 |
| 2/12 | Incoming and outgoing correspondence | 1950 |
| 2/13 | Correspondence and agreements | 1951 |
| 2/14 | Correspondence and agreements | 1952 |
| 2/15 | Correspondence and agreements | 1953 |
| 2/16 | Correspondence, minutes, and agreements | 1954-1955 |
| 2/17 | Correspondence | 1957-1959 |
| 2/18 | Correspondence and speech | 1960, 1963 |
| 2/19 | Correspondence | 1966-1967 |
| 2/20 | Correspondence, press release, agreement | 1970, 1972 |
| 2/21 | Correspondence and reports | 1973, 1976 |
| 2/22 | Correspondence and reports | 1986-1988 |
Series 6: Subject files; 1951-1987. 0.1 cubic feet.
Arranged alphabetically by file title.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 2/23 | Anchorage/Fairbanks Central Labor Council | 1956-1988 |
| 2/24 | Benefit plan | undated |
| 2/25 | Convention dates list | 1982 |
| 2/26 | Directories | Undated, 1985 |
| 2/27 | Elections | undated |
| 2/28 | Fisheries hearing transcript | 1944 |
| 2/29 | Laundry workers | 1958 |
| 2/30 | Local unions | 1951-1971 |
| 2/31 | Management ploys | 1954 |
| 2/32 | Speech fragments | Undated, 1963 |
Series 7: Heart of Alaska’s Labor Movement oral history audiocassettes; 1988-1989. 0.4 cubic feet.
Guy Stringham of Dillingham conducted oral history interviews with 31 individuals concerning their participation in the Alaska Territorial Federation of Labor. The oral history project took place in 1988 and 1989. The tapes are arranged alphabetically by name of interviewee.
| Box/Item | Description | Date |
| 3/1 | Dorothy Alewine, 1 tape, 90 minutes | 1988 December 15 |
| 3/2 | Les “Andy” Anderson, 1 tape, 90 minutes | 1988 December 7 |
| 3/3 | Roger Anderson (IBEW Fairbanks), 1 tape, 90 minutes | 1988 October 20 |
| 3/4 | Joseph Armstrong (IBEW Local 1547), 1 tape, 90 minutes | 1988 September 20 |
| 3/5 | Kenneth Bowman, 2 tapes, 90 minutes each | 1988 September 28 |
| 3/6 | Gus Caterinichio, 1 tape, 90 minutes | 1988 September 29 |
| 3/7 | Russell Conlon, 2 tapes, 90 minutes each | Undated |
| 3/8 | Robert “Bob” Goldberg, 1 tape, 90 minutes | 1988 December 15 |
| 3/9 | Walter Gray, 2 tapes, 60 minutes each | 1989 July 10 |
| 3/10 | Walter “Wally” Hickel, 1 tape, 90 minutes | 1988 December 15 |
| 3/11 | Jorge Hix (IBEW), 1 tape, 90 minutes | undated |
| 3/12 | Benjamin Humphries, 1 tape, 90 minutes | 1988 December 12 |
| 3/13 | William “Bill” Jermaine, 2 tapes, 90 minutes each | 1988 December 19 |
| 3/14 | Bruno Johnson (Carpenters), 1 tape, 90 minutes | 1988 December 08 |
| 3/15 | Steve Konor (IBEW), 1 tape, 90 minutes | 1988 October 21 |
| 3/16 | Julius Kornfiend, 2 tapes, 90 minutes each | 1989 June 25 |
| 3/17 | Morris G”Whitey” Langburg, 1 tape, 90 minutes | 1988 September 26 |
| 3/18 | Peter Lannen (Carpenters), 2 tapes, 90 minutes each | 1988 September 29 |
| 3/19 | Raymond Lee (Laborers), 1 tape, 90 minutes | 1988 December 2 |
| 3/20 | Hilary Michlig (302), 1 tape, 90 minutes | 1988 December 7 |
| 3/21 | Robert “Mac” McFarland (Laborers), 1 tape, 60 minutes | 1988 September 28 |
| 3/22 | Marlene Neva, 1 tape, 90 minutes | 1989 July 02 |
| 3/23 | Victor Paal (Laborers), 1 tape, 90 minutes | 1988 December 14 |
| 3/24 | Shannon Parker (Daughter of Henry Hedberg), 1 tape, 90 minutes | Undated |
| 3/25 | Rose Palmquist (Teamsters), 1 tape, 90 minutes | 1988 December 14 |
| 3/26 | Andrew “Bear” Pierkarski, 1 tape, 90 minutes | 1988 December 09 |
| 3/27 | David Rasely (Fairbanks), 1 tape, 90 minutes | 1989 June 26 |
| 3/28 | Lorena Showers, 3 tapes, 1-90 and 2-60 minutes | 1988 June 7, September 20 |
| 3/29 | Kancho Spasoff, 1 tape, 90 minutes | undated |
| 3/30 | Jerry Thorn, 2 tapes, 90 minutes each | undated |
| 3/31 | Joel Weigert (Laborers), 2 tapes, 90 minutes each | 1988 September 26 |