This collection consists of the office files of UE Local 1412. The bulk of the records date from the late 1940s to the early 1970s. The earliest material is UE Local 1412's charter dated June 3, 1938. The files show the daily functioning of Local 1412. Their interests and activities are reflected through the minutes, grievances, printed material, contracts, correspondance, strike files, NLRB activities and elections. The early part of the material reflects Local 1412's involvement with individual shops. The later material concentrates more on the national levels of the organization. Overall, the collection is a clear picture of the wants, needs and interests of the men and women who built and repaired the heavy electrical machinery that powered post war American industry.

The goals of UE were to defend the interests and improve the conditions of the wage earner through bringing about a higher standard of living. UE's ultimate goal was to unite all workers in the electrical industry on an industrial basis regardless of craft, age, sex, nationality, race, creed, color or political beliefs.

This collection clearly demonstrates UE's active persuit of the union's goals. The series on printed material chronicles UE's support of workers rights, minorities and women. This series also contains materials which document UE's traditional strong anti-war stance and support for the civil rights movement. Booklets and pamphlets reflect these issues as well. This material may be found grouped with UE international convention proceedings this was where these issues were brought forth and adopted into UE's working policy. Evidence of UE's defense of workers' rights regardless of race, creed or sex is seen in the Dura-Vent subseries (1980-1982). UE 1412 interceded into a three year old strike to defend workers of Latin-American descent. A good portion of the material in this subseries is in Spanish as well as English. The correspondence series highlights UE's tireless defense from the barrage of Communist allegations and investigations throught the 1950s and early 1960s. UE's democratic foundations are revealed by the shop level election and grievance processes which functioned at all levels of the organization.