MC 718

Inventory of the National Maritime Union of America Records

By Special Collections and University Archives

August 2008

Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries.

Finding aid encoded in EAD, version 2002 by Tara Maharjan, April 2020
Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University received an operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.

Descriptive Summary

Creator: National Maritime Union of America
Title: National Maritime Union of America Records
Dates: 1937-1977
Quantity: 158 cubic feet (158 record cartons)
Abstract: Records pertaining to governance, local organizing, contract negotiation and compliance, lobbying, public relations and policing the membership. Examples of documents found in the records include constitutions, minutes, correspondence, contracts, speeches and testimony, reports, press clippings, personnel records, case files, publications, photographs and audiovisual recordings. Among the topics represented to at least some degree are U.S. maritime policy, the Panama Canal, passenger ship safety, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Vietnam War. The case files derive in most instances from charges of misconduct (such as drunkenness, not appearing when scheduled to sail on a ship or refusal to work) brought against an individual by his fellow crew members. They date from the 1940s to the 1960s. Subjects documented by the photographs include U.S. Congressional hearings, union functions, union officials (portraits), strikes, ships, ship conditions, crews, a post-war wage campaign and seafaring women. The audiovisual recordings include cine film and videotapes.
Collection No.: MC 718
Access: Stored offsite: Advance notice required to consult these records.
Language: English
Repository: Rutgers University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives

Restrictions

Restricted Materials

The trial committee files (cartons 33–88) are restricted. Permission to consult trial committee files must be obtained from the National Maritime Union.

Viewing of audiovisual materials dependent both on their condition and on the availability of appropriate playback equipment.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

National Maritime Union of America, MC 718, Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries.

Processing Note

Additional processing of this collection was completed by David Kuzma in August 2008 and Ian Grayson in March 2020.

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Detailed Description of the Collection/Container List

This section provides descriptions of the materials found within each series. Each series description is followed by a container list, which gives the titles of the "containers" (for example, folders, volumes, or cassettes) and their locations in the numbered boxes that comprise the collection. The availability of any digital items from a container is indicated with a hyperlink.

NATIONAL OFFICE FILES
Box
1 National office minutes of meetings, 1957-1990
Including ships and material relating to the United Seaman's Service. (1963-1964 not present)
Box
2-3 National council meetings and conventions, 1960-1969
Box
4 Minutes of meetings by port, 1973-1979
Box
5 Minutes of meetings by port (continued), 1973-1979
Administrative correspondence, 1958-1970
Including correspondence to president, secretary, and other officers; correspondence with other maritime unions, contract negotiations with office staff, and studies of maritime activites.
Box
6 Administrative correspondence (continued), 1958-1970
Box
7 Building projects, audits, 1958-1979
Box
8 Building projects (continued), 1958-1979
Officers pension plan, 1952-1973
Audits of pension fund, 1961-1977
Box
9 Pension funds (continued), 1961-1977
Miscellaneous draft articles, clippings, Pre-1957
Box
10 Industrial Technical & Employee's Division, organizing leaflets, 1958-1970
President's speeches and testimony, 1958-1970
President's reports and state-of-the-union addresses, 1947-1950
Press clippings, negotiations, lobbying, 1960s
Box
11 Reports, speeches, testimony, (continued), 1950s-1960s
Draft articles, clippings, Pre-1975
Box
12 Draft articles, clippings (continued), Pre-1975
Box
13 President's testimonial dinner, Washington correspondence, ships' correspondence, 1961-1974
Box
14 Ships' correspondence (continued), 1961-1974
Contract negotiations , office records, correspondence, 1959-1977
Box
15 Contract negotiations, office records (continued), 1959-1977
Box
16-17 Offshore contracts, Congressional hearings on Panama Canal, 1960s-1970s
Box
18-20 Correspondence by port, 1955-1970
Box
21-23 Newsletter reference files and clippings, 1960s-1970s
Box
24 Newsletter reference files (continued), 1960s-1970s
Staff contracts, lobbying, maritime issues, 1960s-1975
Box
25-26 Miscellaneous files by subject, 1970s
Box
27-28 Hearings on passenger ship safety, 1960-1966
Maritime policy, 1963-1967
Box
29 Staff contracts, lobbying, issue files, 1960s-1975
Box
30-32 Staff contracts (continued), 1960s-1975
Press office miscellaney, 1973-1980
TRIAL COMMITTEE FILES
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by surname, 1948–1960s.
Summary: Includes charges, personnel records, disposition of trials. (A–Ba, Gu–I are missing).
Restrictions: This series is restricted. Permission to use them must be obtained from the National Maritime Union.
Box
33 Be-Bl
Box
34 Bl-Br
Box
35 Bra-Bro
Box
36 Bro-Bus
Box
37 Bus-Car
Box
38 Car-Chr
Box
39 Chu-Col
Box
40 Col-Cos
Box
41 Cos-Cur
Box
42 Cur-Dav
Box
43 Dav-Den
Box
44 Den-Dil
Box
45 Dim-Dri
Box
46 Dri-Ed
Box
47 Ed-Es
Box
48 Et-Fe, La
Box
49 Fe-Fr,
Box
50 Fr-Ga,
Box
51 Ga-Go
Box
52 Go-Gr
Box
53 Ja-Jo, Pa
Box
54 Jo-Ke
Box
55 Ka-Ki
Box
56 Ko-La
Box
57 La-Le
Box
58 Lo-Me, Ri-Ro
Box
59 Le-Lo
Box
60 Lo-Mc.
Box
61 McN-Mar
Box
62 Mar-Mason, J.
Box
63 Mason, L.-Merril
Box
64 Merrim-Mal
Box
65 Mon-Mor
Box
66 No-Ne
Box
67 Ne-Oc,
Box
68 Oc-Ox
Box
69 Pa-Pe
Box
70 Pe-Po
Box
71 Pi-Ra
Box
72 Ra-Ri
Box
73 Ri-Ro
Box
74 Ro-Sa
Box
75 Sa-Se
Box
76 Si-Sm
Box
77 Sm-Sq
Box
78 Se-Su
Box
79 St,
Box
80 Sta,
Box
81 Su-Ta
Box
82 Ta-To
Box
83 To-Va
Box
84 Va-Ve
Box
85 Vi-Wa
Box
86 Wa-Wi
Box
87 Wi-Wo
Box
88 Wo-Zu,
RESEARCH DEPARTMENT FILES
Box
89-90 Convention files, 1937-1945, 1951, 1957, 1960
Box
91-92 Convention files, publications, 1940s
Box
93-96 Publications, clippings files, 1937-1964
Box
97-98 Maritime Union history files 1936-1964
Including press releases, clippings, publications, etc.
Box
99 President's speeches, reports, articles, 1937-1967
Elections, constitutions, contracts, enforcements, 1940s-1960s
Box
100 President's speeches, reports, articles (continued), 1937-1967
Box
101 Contracts and organizing files, 1939-1963
Box
102-103 Negotiations (frieghters and tankers), 1939-1963
Box
104-105 Negotiations, political contributions, pensions, (Various dates)
Box
106-107 Correspondence related to the Vietnam War
Box
108-109 Steamship company correspondence, contract compliance, container ships, 1968-1977
CONTRACT FILES
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by company name.
Box
110 Ad-Am
Box
111 Am-Arc
Box
112 Arc-Bli
Box
113 Boa-Cen
Box
114 Cir-Cru,
Box
115 Cu-Edi
Box
116 Eck-Gri
Box
117 Gu-Isb,
Box
118 Isb-Mer
Box
119 Mes-New York,
Box
120 New York-Paragon,
Box
121 Paro-So
Box
122 So-St
Box
123 St-Su
Box
124 Ta-Ter,
Box
125 Tex-V,
Box
126 W-Z,
ORGANIZING FILES
Arrangement: Arranged by country, ship and U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.
Box
127 Country files, A-G
Box
128 Country files, H-S
Box
129 Ship files (SS Abalone-Kyma)
Box
130 Ship files (Lake Charles-Z)
Box
131-132 Miscellaneous files
Box
133 Organizing files, Fisherman and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Box
134 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (continued)
Box
135 Worker classifications and broadsides with various locals, (various dates)
PHOTOGRAPH FILES
Box
136-137 Union and national elections, 1940s-1950s
Box
138 House and Senate hearings, national council meetings, 1968-1970
Box
139 House and Senate hearings, 1968-1970
Official photos of President and officers, 1940s-1950s
Box
140 Newsletter photos, 1976-1977
Box
141 Newsletter photos, 1971-1973
Box
142-143 Newsletter photos and related correspondence, 1968-1969
Box
144-145 Strikers demonstrations, ships, crews, scholarships, 1964-1968
Box
146 Ships, news events, buildings, 1961
Box
147 Ships, news events, buildings (continued), 1961
Miscellaneous photos, 1940s, 1974-1975
Includes clippings.
Box
148-149 Ships, news events, buildings, 1957
Box
150 Newsletter photos and clippings, 1974-1975
Box
151-152 Newsletter photos, ships, 1940s
Box
153 Postwar wage campaign, Russian war relief, picket lines, 1940s
Box
154-155 Seafaring women, ships committees, ship conditions, seaman's vote, 1942
Box
156-158 Public relations films and tapes,
For presevation purposes, movie film present in this collection is restricted. It may not be viewed due to its fragile nature combined with the uncertain reliability of available play-back equipment