VIII. GENERAL REFERENCE FILES OF PRESIDENTIAL ASSISTANT, LES FINNEGAN, 1942-1965

Grouped in two chronological sequences: 1942-1959, and 1960-1965. Arranged alphabetically by subject name.

Finnegan generated and organized voluminous reference files in his capacity as Carey's principal research assistant and speech writer. Consisting largely of newsclippings, excerpted articles and publications, releases, reports, and bulletins, these files provided essential research and reference material for inclusion in Carey's speeches, statements, and position papers, and various IUE reports on economic, collective bargaining, and legislative issues confronting the union. Contextual correspondence and memoranda, interspersed within the files, chronicle the acquisition and use of the reference material.

This series contains administrative correspondence and agenda pertaining to IUE convention arrangements (1950-1954) and the IUE's First Biennial Economic Policy Conference (1955). A smaller quantity of national office records--consisting of Executive Board Committee Reports (1951-1955), local and district records (1960), and personnel staff files (1949-1954)--are filed under the sub-heading "IUE." The reference files of the second chronological grouping are less extensive in scope and quantity.

General subject files pertaining to the AFL contain clippings, releases, statements, and reports documenting the federation's political action activities during the 1952 election campaign, labor corruption, raiding and jurisdictional problems involving the CIO, and merger with the CIO in 1955. The AFL-CIO's non-raiding pact of 1953-1954 and the creation of the Industrial Union Department (IUD) within the federation after the merger are given extensive coverage. These files contain correspondence between James B. Carey (Secretary-Treasurer of IUD) and IUD Director, Albert Whitehouse. Political action clippings within the AFL files supplement the more voluminous "Presidential Election-1952" files that document the 1952 Democratic and Republican Party primaries, conventions, and Stevenson and Eisenhower campaigns.

Major subject headings include: Atomic Energy (labor-management policies and internal security issues); Civil Rights (documentation of violations by the IBEW and other craft unions); Defense Mobilization and Production (CIO and IUE participation on the United Labor Policy Committee); National Health Insurance Legislation (debate over Truman Administration initiatives); Internal Security and Loyalty Programs (McCarran Act, Subversive Activities Control Board, and Defense Industries); Spy Rings (the Rosenbergs, Klaus Fuchs, and atomic espionage); Southern Moves by Companies (plant relocation and decentralization policies); and Taft-Hartley (proposed legislative amendments concerning secondary boycott provisions, government-mandated union shop elections, extension of loyalty oath program to employers).

The 1960s General Reference Files of Finnegan comprise a smaller segment of the series and consist largely of miscellaneous items filed under relevant subject headings. The General Electric files covering IUE-GE Conference Board activities, negotiations, and the 1960 national GE Strike are a notable exception. These include Conference Board reports, releases, copies of the union's formal proposal to the corporation, strike announcements, the IUE-GE Strike Bulletin and the IUE's statement and memorandum of agreement ending the strike. The IUE-GE "No Contract, No Work" vote of 1960 is tabulated on a local by local basis. Notes regarding disciplinary action taken by management at various GE plants during the strike are included here as well. Records relating to Finnegan's research in conjunction with the GE Price Fixing Case of 1960-1961 and the 1961 GE Stockholders Meeting, are also insightful for examining outstanding issues between the management of GE and the IUE during the early 1960s.

A small cluster of IUE District and Local Files can be found within Finnegan's reference files, containing leaflets, bulletins, reports, and correspondence. Subjects include local union elections, proposals for constitutional amendments by various locals, and expressions of rank and file support and dissatisfaction with IUE national policies. Files pertaining to Local 201 (Lynn, MA) and Local 301 (Schenectady, NY) document factional movements within these locals led by Thomas Malloy and Leo Jandreau respectively.

Carey's letter of endorsement for the 1960 presidential candidacy of Senator Stuart Symington (D-Missouri) is also contained within this portion of the series. UE efforts to regain collective bargaining rights within plants of the GE and Westinghouse chain during 1963 is highlighted within one extensive file. This sequence also contains administrative correspondence and agendas regarding arrangements for IUE Constitutional Conventions (ninth, tenth, and eleventh) held during the period 1960-1964. Several files cover the disputed Carey-Jennings Election and Carey's resignation from office as IUE President in 1964.