AFL-CIO records: the George Meany Memorial Archives at the National Labor College
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The George Meany
Memorial Archives are housed at the
National Labor College in
Silver Spring, Maryland just north of of Washington, DC.
These archives hold the records of the American Federation of
Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations which merged
in 1955 to become the
AFL-CIO which represents some 12 million workers. This is not only the best place to study trade unionism within the US, but the records housed here reflect the strong AFL-CIO presence throughout the world, especially during the Cold War period. The AFL-CIO abroad often acted as a quasi-governmental agency, interacting with all of the political movements of a given country. This collection gives us an incredible insight into the views and activities of US Labor during the Cold War - unhindered by the diplomacy of civilian government cables or the continued secrecy of the intelligence services' messages. |