University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Archives Department.

Federated Trades Council of Milwaukee.

Records, 1900-1950.

Milwaukee Manuscript Collection DR

2.4 cubic ft. (15 volumes)


ABSTRACT: Records consist largely of correspondence of General Secretary Frank J. Weber to affiliated member unions (1923-1933) concerning trade unionism, old age pensions, collective bargaining, conscription and wages during World War II, socialism and capitalism, inter-union disputes, and labor legislation. Also contains minutes of the executive board (1923-1939); minutes of meetings (1900-1903); and some material on the Milwaukee Laundry Strike of 1934-1935. Weber founded the Council in 1887 to organize craft unions in Milwaukee, and was its secretary until 1934. Herman Seide was secretary from 1934-1943.


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: Although the collection covers the years from 1900-1938, the bulk of the material is small. There is just a scattering of correspondence for the early years and even the later material is not inclusive. A large portion of the correspondence is that of General Secretary Frank J. Weber to affiliated member unions between 1923-1933, and in it he discusses trade unionism, old age pensions, collective bargaining, conscription, war, socialism and capitalism, inter-union disputes, and demands for legislation in the interests of labor. A group of Weber's writings at the end of the collection deal with the same subjects.

The small amount of incoming correspondence is mainly from member unions and deals with dues, agreements, and other union business. There is some material on the Milwaukee Laundry Strike of 1934-1935. In the absence of a representative to organize the laundry workers of Milwaukee, the President of the International Laundry Workers authorized Herman Seide, General Secretary of the Federation, 1934-1943, to organize the workers and set up the machinery for collective bargaining.

The collection contains some personal letters of Frank J. Weber. Some are to his grandchildren; more interesting are a group of letters concerning Weber's investment with William Coleman, General Secretary of the Socialist Party of Milwaukee, and others, in a gold mine in Ophir, Colorado, 1929-1931.

In addition to the above mentioned papers, there is one volume of the minutes of meetings, 1900-1903. It is interesting to note that Weber corresponded with Ernest Bevin, British Labor leader and later Secretary of Foreign Affairs in the Labor Government from January 8 and September 1, 1932. There is also one of Weber's letters to Louis Budenz, former Communist and reformer from November 5, 1930.

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY: The Federated Trades Council was founded in Milwaukee on February 20, 1887, for the purpose of organizing the craft unions in the city. The agitation to organize was a direct result of the schism between the Knights of Labor and the rising craft unions. Led by its founder, Frank J. Weber, the Federated Trades Council played a prominent part in the labor history of Milwaukee. Its influence has been somewhat superseded by the more important Wisconsin State Federated of Labor, also founded by Weber in 1893, the state agent of the American Federation of Labor. However, throughout the years, both organizations worked closely together; it was not infrequent that the top officer of one organization also held the top office in the other.

Frank J. Weber was born August 7, 1849 in the outskirts of Milwaukee. His grandfather was a German who emigrated from upper Austria and became one of Milwaukee's leading butter and cheese makers. Weber, a carpenter by trade, went to sea in 1869. He sailed the old windjammers of Lake Michigan and circumnavigated the glove three times before he left "a sailor's life."

In 1886 he was initiated into a seaman's union at the seaman's boarding house back of the Live Oaks Saloon on Broadway, then called Main Street. He retired from the sea in 1902.

He organized the Federated Trades Council on February 20, 1887, and was its secretary until he retired in 1934. He founded the Wisconsin State Federation of Labor in June, 1893, and was its president until he retired from that task in 1917.

Weber was quite prominent in organizing unions. He organized the lumber handlers into what eventually became the American Federation of Labor Longshoreman's unions. He organized seamen's unions for the old Knights of Labor, and he unionized the brewery workers in Milwaukee in 1891. He was called to West Virginia in 1897 to help form the United Mine Workers. During World War I, he was a member of Wisconsin War Labor Board.

His intimate friends included Samuel Gompers and novelist Jack London. He was a pioneer member of the Socialist party, served eight years in the Legislature, and was the party's candidate for higher offices. He was a leading figure in the fight for the Workmen's Compensation Act, for old age pensions, and other social legislation.

His wife, Augusta, died March 6, 1942. He had two sons, Charles, New York City, and Orlando, Kisco, New York, multimillionaire and retired president of Allied Chemical & Dye Co. Wever died in 1943 at the age of 93. [The sketch is based upon the obituary of Frank J. Weber in Wisconsin Necrology, Vol. 48, p. 187, and Wisconsin Labor (Milwaukee, 1950), the official publication of the Wisconsin State Federation of Labor.]

COLLECTION CITATION: This collection should be cited as:
Federated Trades Council of Milwaukee. Records, 1900-1950. Milwaukee Manuscript Collection DR. Wisconsin Historical Society. Milwaukee Area Research Center. UWM Libraries. University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee.

RELATED COLLECTIONS:

Friedrick, Jacob F., 1892-1978. Papers, 1931-1968. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection CT and Milwaukee Tape 1)

Wisconsin Drivers' Conference. Records, 1936-1948. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection DV)

Women's Trade Union League of Milwaukee. Records, 1948-1956. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 26)

Zeidler, Frank P. Papers, 1897-1977. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection DJ)


ACQUISITION: Received from the Federated Trades Council of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1950, 1951, 1952, and 1957; and Jacob F. Friedrick of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on January 14, 1956.

MARC RECORD SEARCH TERMS: The following terms were used in the online bibliographic MARC record to this collection:
MILWAUKEE MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION DR BOX FOLDER
Correspondence, 1922-1928 1 1
Correspondence, 1929-1931 1 2
Correspondence, 1932-1933 1 3
Correspondence, 1934-1935 1 5
Correspondence, 1936-1938, 1940 1 6
Executive Board, Minutes, 1923-1927 2 1
Executive Board, Minutes, 1927-1930 2 2
Executive Board, Minutes, 1931-1934 2 3
Executive Board, Minutes, 1935-1936 2 4
Executive Board, Minutes, 1937-1938 2 5
Executive Board, Minutes, 1938-1939 3 1
Financial Records, 1905-1908 [volume 9] 5  
Financial Records, 1909-1913 [volume 8] 5  
Financial Records, 1909-1916 [volume 1] 4  
Financial Records, 1909-1944 3 4
Financial Records, 1917-1925 [volume 2] 4  
Financial Records, 1926-1935 [volume 3] 4  
Financial Records, 1935-1940 [volume 4] 5  
Financial Records, 1941-1943 [volume 5] 5  
Financial Records, 1943-1945 [volume 6] 5  
Financial Records, 1945-1950 [volume 7] 5  
Group Medicine Survey, Radio Addresses, 1938-1942 3 2
Laundry Strike and Organization of Laundry Workers, 1934-1935 1 4
Minutes, 1900-1903 [volume 10] 6  
Minutes, 1915-1923 [volume 11] 6  
Miscellaneous, 1902-1923 4 1
Miscellaneous, 1921-1939 1 7
Scrapbook of Newspaper Clippings, 1910-1912 3 5
Strike of Milwaukee Newspaper Guild, 1936 4 2
Weber, Frank J., Miscellaneous, 1928-1932 3 3

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