Clyde L. Johnson collection
Scope and Contents
Materials related to the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBCJA) at the national, California and local levels, including convention proceedings, bylaws, agreements, and pamphlets, collected in the course of Johnson's work as business agent for UBCJA's Local 550 Chapter in Oakland, California. While the majority of the collection reflects official documentation from UBCJA and California State Council of Carpenters, also present are publications from workers and players within the Millmen and Carpenter industry. Some materials reflect Johnson's long standing conflict with the National UBCJA organization.
Dates
- 1954-1983
Biographical Information
Clyde Johnson (1908-1994) was a lifelong labor organizer who worked within many different industries during his lifetime. Throughout his long career as an organizer, Johnson worked with students, iron and foundry workers, coal workers, sharecroppers, electrical workers, agricultural workers, and carpenters.
In 1955 Johnson moved from Washington, D.C. to Oakland, California where he joined Local 550 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBCJA). He served as the business agent for UBCJA from 1960-1966 before joining the Institute of Industrial Relations at University of California, Berkeley in 1967. In his later years, Johnson devoted himself to telling the story of working class resistance and organizing struggles, including Millmen 550: A History of the Militant Years (1961-1966) of Local 550 United Brotherhood of Carpenters, which details his role as the union's business agent during the time period.
Johnson's book Organize or Die: Smash Boss Unionism--Build Union Power, Organize Two Million Carpenters and Woodworkers critized the national UBCJA body and President William Hutcheson, a conservative craft-unionist who was often at odds with local chapters, revoking the charters of those that he believe held Communist sympathies. As a Communist, Johnson fought for worker controlled unions and militant organizing strategies, such as strikes and lockouts. Due in part to his efforts, Local 550 became known for its focus on civil rights and trade union democracy. Clyde Johnson died on October 5, 1994.
Extent
2.5 Cubic Feet (2 cartons)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Materials related to the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBCJA) at the national, California and local levels, including convention proceedings, bylaws, agreements, and pamphlets, collected in the course of Johnson's work as business agent for UBCJA's Local 550 Chapter in Oakland, California. While the majority of the collection reflects official documentation from UBCJA and California State Council of Carpenters, also present are publications from workers and players within the Millmen and Carpenter industry. Some materials reflect Johnson's long standing conflict with the National UBCJA organization.
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
Location
Vault 08:06:C
Physical Location
Available onsite.
Separated Materials
The following books were retained by LARC and were relocated to the Book Collection:
Bertram, Gordon W. Consolidated Bargaining in California Construction: An Appraisal of Twenty-Years’ Experience. Institute of Industrial Relations, University of California, Los Angeles, 1966.
Christie, Robert A. Empire in Wood: A History of the Carpenters’ Union. Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 1956.
Daly, Donald F. Know Your Union: A Guide to Jobs in the Building Trades. Dorrance & Company, Philadelphia, 1964.
Galenson, Walter. The United Brotherhood of Carpenters: The First Hundred Years. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1983.
Mills, Daniel Quinn. The Industrial Relations and Manpower in Construction. The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1972.
Schorr, Alvin L. Slums and Social Insecurity: An appraisal of the effectiveness of housing policies in helping to eliminate poverty in the United States. U.S. Department of Health, #Education and Welfare. Social Security Administration, 1966.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment and Earnings: States and Areas 1939-70. Bulletin 1370-8, 1971.
Selected pamphlets and other print material on subjects other than the building trades was relocated to the Ephemera Files. It can be identified with the accession number 2002/048.
Processing Information
Processed by Labor Archives staff; finding aid written by Leah Humphreys, 2020.
- Apprenticeship programs -- United States.
- Building trades -- Employees -- Labor unions -- California.
- Bylaws (administrative records).
- Carpenters -- Labor unions -- California.
- Collective labor agreements.
- Communists -- United States.
- Labor -- California -- History -- 20th century.
- Labor unions -- Organizing -- California -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
- Labor unions -- Organizing.
- Strikes and lockouts.
- Title
- Finding Aid to the Clyde Johnson Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid written by Leah Humphreys.
- Date
- 2020
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Labor Archives and Research Center Repository
San Francisco State University
J. Paul Leonard Library, Room 460
1630 Holloway Ave
San Francisco 94132-1722 USA
(415) 405-5571
larc@sfsu.edu