University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Archives Department.

International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen. Local 8 (Milwaukee, Wis.).

Records, 1880-1980.

Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 106

2.4 cubic ft. (2 record center cartons, and 1 archives box)

ABSTRACT: Minutes, correspondence, reports, and financial record books of a Milwaukee local of the Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen's Union. Founded in 1880 as the independent Mason and Bricklayer Union No. 1, the local affiliated with the Bricklayers and Masons International Union of America in 1896. The records of the local are available only in the German language from 1880 through 1899. Beginning at that point because of inclusion of the former Local No. 7 there is also a duplicate set of records in English. In 1918 the German record keeping was suspended. The history of Local No. 7 is documented in additional volumes covering the period 1893-1899.

ACCESS RESTRICTIONS: There are no access restrictions on the materials, and the collection is open to all members of the public in accordance with state law. However, the researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

SCOPE AND CONTENT: The collection consists of minutes, reports, financial records, correspondence, notes, lists, memoranda, and published histories. The documentation records the Local's activities from its inception in 1880 until 1927. The remaining years are covered briefly by two historical reviews filed at the head of the collection. In addition, volumes covering the history of Local No. 7, which dissolved in 1899, are included for the period 1893-1899.

The records of this Milwaukee Local are bilingual, as the proceedings were transcribed by the recording secretary in English and German script. Although Local No. 8 had many English-speaking members the minutes of its meetings were recorded solely in German until February 25, 1899. At the time Local No. 8 inducted the remaining members of the recently disbanded Local No. 7 into its organization. Having previously kept all of its records in English, the former Local No. 7 continued entering its records in English, the former Local No. 7 continued entering its records in English. Consequently two series of records were maintained side-by-side for the enlarged local. In 1918, no doubt due to the anti-German feeling of World War I, the local decided to record proceedings only in English. Although duplicating each other in terms of informational content, the two sets of records for the period 1899-1917 have been maintained primarily for their value to linguistic research.

The German and English minutes are arranged separately, with each category arranged into chronological order. While volumes of minutes comprise the largest portion of the collection, they are followed by a smaller miscellaneous section containing the proceedings of the committee on jurisprudence and some letters, notes, and memoranda of the corresponding secretary. There is also one file containing audits, reports, and statements found loose in several volumes of the English minutes.

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY: The earliest evidence concerning the present-day Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen's International Union, Milwaukee Local No. 8, was the placement of announcements in various Milwaukee newspapers calling local stonemasons and bricklayers to an organizational meeting on November 14, 1980. At this meeting a temporary president (Hugo Grieswold) was elected and future meetings were arranged. After seven meetings, the "Maurer" or Mason and Bricklayer Union No. 1 was organized on December 21, 1880, and the following permanent officers were elected: Samuel Baumback, president; Hugo Grieswold, vice-president; William Luther, treasurer; and Charles Ueckert, secretary. Under their direction the union established an accident and relief fund and a death benefit fund, and on May 26, 1881 a state charted was received.

As the membership of the union increased so did its success in negotiation with the Contractors' Association. In 1880 the union members faced low wages and no rules regulating their working hours; by 1882 their wages had increased from about $1.75 per day to $3.00 per day. Following an eight-week struggle in 1886 Mason and Bricklayer Union No. 1 was one of the first unions to achieve an eight-hour working day. After a strike in 1891 the wage was increased to 40 cents per hour; by 1900 the wage was $3.60 for an eight-hour day.

Until 1896 the union had no national affiliation and was thus forced to discipline its members without the authority of a national organization. Consequently a committee on jurisprudence was formed on July 24, 1886, to hear complaints and administer fines.

However, following the depression of 1893 the union found it increasingly difficult to maintain an effective organization due to its non-affiliated status. In the fall of 1895 the union sought affiliation with the Bricklayers and Masons International Union of America. Accordingly, the committee on jurisprudence was dissolved on March 21, 1896, and on May 6, 1896 the union received its charter as Local No. 8 of the Bricklayers and Masons International Union.

After receiving its charter Local No. 8 occasionally held joint meetings with another Milwaukee affiliate, Local No. 7. Local No. 7 had been formed in 1893 and was smaller, less well organized and less stable than Local No. 8. Due to ongoing financial problems, Local No. 7 was forced to disband on February 22, 1899. The majority of its members were immediately incorporated into Local No. 8.

In 1908 the local won a Saturday-half-holiday or a 44-hour week for the months of July, August, and September. By 1912 it had enlarged the 44-hour week as the work schedule throughout the year. In addition, in 1911 the union worked to ensure the safety of its members by instituting regulations on scaffold heights.

Although Local No. 8 continued its successful local negotiations with the inauguration of a weekly payday in 1913, it also advocated the start of a state conference. In 1928 the union became affiliated with the Wisconsin Federation of Labor. At the time of the local's fiftieth anniversary in 1930, it noted consistent efforts toward improvement of the condition of its fellow workers, both unionized and unorganized, through economic and political means.

Information on the local's second half century, which is not documented in the primary records held by the Historical Society, is contained in the historical publications in folder one of the collection.

COLLECTION CITATION: This collection should be cited as:

International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen. Local 8 (Milwaukee, Wis.). Records, 1880-1980. Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 106. Wisconsin Historical Society. Milwaukee Area Research Center. UWM Libraries. University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee.

RELATED COLLECTION:

Bricklayers, Masons, and Plasterers' International Union of America. Local 14 (Waukesha, Wis.). Records, 1902-1937. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection DS)

ACQUISITION: Presented by Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen International Union, Local No. 8 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, via Robert Ozanne on March 7, 1986 (accession number M86-73).

PROCESSING: Processed by Randal Sivertson and CJM in 1986.

MARC RECORD SEARCH TERMS: The following terms were used in the online bibliographic MARC record to this collection:

International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen. Local 7 (Milwaukee, Wis.).
Mason and Bricklayer Union. No. 1 (Milwaukee, Wis.).
Milwaukee (Wis.)--History--Sources.
Trade-unions--Bricklayers--Wisconsin--Milwaukee--Records and correspondence.

MILWAUKEE MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION 106	BOX	FOLDER
Audits, Reports, and Loose Statements, 1904-1910	2	6
Committee on Jurisprudence, 1886-1896	2	11
Corresponding Secretary's Records, 1896-1903	3	1
Corresponding Secretary's Records, 1908-1916	3	2
Histories, 1930, 1980	1	1
Minutes, English, 1893-1896	2	1
Minutes, English, 1896-1898	2	2
Minutes, English, 1898-1901	2	3
Minutes, English, 1901-1905	2	4
Minutes, English, 1906-1910	2	5
Minutes, English, 1911-1914	2	7
Minutes, English, 1915-1919	2	8
Minutes, English, 1919-1922	2	9
Minutes, English, 1923-1927	2	10
Minutes, German, 1880-1884	1	2
Minutes, German, 1884-1888	1	3
Minutes, German, 1888-1896	1	4
Minutes, German, 1896-1898	1	5
Minutes, German, 1898-1901	1	6
Minutes, German, 1901-1904	1	7
Minutes, German, 1904-1908	1	8
Minutes, German, 1909-1913	1	9
Minutes, German, 1914-1918	1	10