Oral history interview with Ross Atwell. [manuscript]. 1968.

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Oral history interview with Ross Atwell. [manuscript]. 1968.

Ross Atwell began his labor career by working with representatives of SWOC and CIO to organize Cooper Bressemer Steel Company at Grove City, Pennsylvania. He served as president and chairman of the grievance committee of his local in the late 1930s and early 1940s. He became a staff representative for District 21 in 1942 under the direction of John Grajciar. In this interview he notes the importance of the United Mine Workers in both shaping his own views on trade unionism and in providing the moving force behind the organization of the Steelworkers. He also comments on the political struggles within his district office.

Transcript : 23 leaves.Sound recording : 1 sound cassette (45 min.).

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Congress of Industrial Organizations (U.S.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6j788vr (corporateBody)

The Committee for Industrial Organization was formed by the presidents of eight international unions in 1935. The presidents of these unions were dissatisfied with the American Federation of Labor's unwillingness to commit itself to a program of organizing industrial unions. In 1936, the A.F. of L. suspended the ten unions which proceeded to organize an independent federation, the Congress of Industrial Organizations. The CIO subsequently became the A.F. of L.'s chief rival for the leadership of...

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Atwell, Ross,

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International staff representative of the USWA. From the description of Oral history interview with Ross Atwell. [manuscript]. 1968. (Pennsylvania State University Libraries). WorldCat record id: 316825560 ...

Cooper-Bessemer Corporation

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Weinberg, Arthur S.

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Grajciar, John N.

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United Steelworkers of America. District 36G

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6q57xfq (corporateBody)

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United Steelworkers of America

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6c863vq (corporateBody)

The United Steelworkers of America (USWA) was established 22 May 1942, by a convention of representatives from the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel, and Tin Workers (AAISTW) and the Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC) after an intensive organizing initiative by the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in the 1930s. After mergers in 2005, it was renamed United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (USW...