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Des Moines, Iowa (Contact Des Moines Research Center)

Iowa Labor Collection.

Register of the United Packinghouse Workers of America. Local 128. Records, 1942-1954. Z 43

Iowa City, Iowa (Contact Iowa City Research Center)

Iowa Labor Collection.

United Packinghouse Workers of America. Local 128. Records, 1942-1954. Z 43  0.4 linear ft. (1 archives box)

ABSTRACT:  Records from United Packinghouse Workers of America (UPWA) Local 128, from Fort Dodge, Iowa.  The records span from 1942 to 1954 and include minutes of Labor Group-Management meetings, grievances, and correspondence between the local union, the company and other labor organizations.

HISTORICAL NOTE:  The members of the local union were employed at the Fort Dodge Serum Company, which opened around 1912 making pharmaceuticals including anti-hog cholera serum and the hog cholera virus.  UPWA Local 128 was chartered in the early 1940s.  In 1946, American Home Products bought the Fort Dodge Serum Company and changed the name to Fort Dodge Laboratories, Incorporated.  American Home Products owned several more pharmaceutical plants around the country, in cities such as Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City and Waterloo, Iowa; Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colorado; Linn, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; Columbus, Ohio; Madison, Wisconsin; Mankato and Minneapolis, Minnesota; Omaha, Nebraska; Peoria, Illinois; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

  SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE:  The UPWA Local 128 collection contains two series.  The first series involves the local union the Fort Dodge Serum Company and Fort Dodge Laboratories, Inc. from 1943 to 1954.  The second series includes materials from the local union and other labor organizations from 1942 to 1952.

Series one consists of material pertaining to Local 128 and the companies that the members of the union worked for.  This series spans from 1943 to 1954.  The first series includes correspondence with the companies.  The correspondence within the series involves mostly new union officers, seniority, wages, and promotions to supervisor status.  Also in the first series are minutes of meetings.  The minutes of meetings cover grievances, wages, clothing allowances, and foremen.  Grievances and requests for leaves of absences are also in the series. The correspondence within the series involves mostly new union officers, seniority, wages, and promotions to supervisor status.

The second series is comprised of records, mostly correspondence, that involves Local 128 and other labor organizations.  The other organizations in the series include the Iowa State Federation of Labor, the UPWA, UPWA District 3, the Iowa State Industrial Union Council, the Iowa-Nebraska States Industrial Union Council, and the Webster County Industrial Union Council. The correspondence between the union and the UPWA international are mainly form letters to all UPWA locals, but the rest of the correspondence is specifically for Local 128 or from Local 128. The second series spans from 1942 to 1952.

ARRANGEMENT: The files are organized alphabetically by personal name, name of office, or by subject, then chronologically.  Files can contain a variety of materials, including correspondence, newspaper clippings, and reports.

ACCESS RESTRICTIONS: There are no access restrictions on the materials, however, the researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection.

COLLECTION CITATION: This collection should be cited as:

United Packinghouse Workers of America. Local 128. Records, 1942-1954. Z 43. Iowa Labor Collection, State Historical Society of Iowa.

ACQUISITION: Derby Olson donated the collection to the State Historical Society of Iowa in July 1995.

PROCESSING: Eric Lana processed the collection in October 2000. 

RELATED COLLECTIONS:

Amalgamated Meat Cutters & Butcher Workmen of North America.  Local P-1.  Records, 1939-1975.  Iowa Labor Collection.  Z 23.

United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. Local P-46. Records, 1937-1992.  Iowa Labor Collection.  Z 33.

International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers.  Local D-66.  Records, 1976-1984.  Iowa Labor Collection. Z 40.

Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America. Local P-1135.  Records, 1964-1974.  Iowa Labor Collection.  Z 42.

United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.  Local P-31. Records, 1935-1994. Iowa Labor Collection.  Z 41.

Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America. Local P-38. Records, 1965-1975. Iowa Labor Collection.  ZZ 19.

RELATED ORAL HISTORIES:

INDEX TERMS: The following terms were used in catalog record for this collection:

Possible subjects may include (need proper subject headings for terms):

  American Home Products Company

Fort Dodge (Iowa)--Economic conditions

Fort Dodge (Iowa)--History

Fort Dodge Laboratories, Inc.

Fort Dodge Serum Company

Iowa Labor Collection

Labor movement--Iowa--Fort Dodge--History--Sources

Labor unions--Iowa--Fort Dodge--History--Sources

Trade unions—Pharmaceuticals industry (?)

United Packinghouse Workers of America

United Packinghouse Workers of America, District 3

Webster County Industrial Union Council

Iowa State Industrial Union Council

Iowa-Nebraska States Industrial Union Council

Pharmaceutical companies

hog cholera or livestock diseases