Title
- Ayer Annual1
- Content: Labor
- Established: 1909
- Size: 16x22
- Editor: E.P. Marsh
- Publisher: E.P. Marsh and J.E. Campbell
- Ayer Annual2
- size: 7 columns, 28 x 304 (picas?)
- Editor: Maynard Shipley
- Publisher: Everett Trades Council
- Frequency: weekly
- Coverage
- Region: Northwest
- County: Snohomish
- Unique ids
- LCCN: sn88085620
- OCLC: ocm18036796
Digitization plan
2008-2010 grant
- Substitute title, not digitized in this grant cycle
- 1909-1922 (3 reels)
History
- Continues:
- Related titles:
NEH Approved Essay
The
Labor Journal [LCCN: sn88085620] was the official paper of the Everett Trades Council, the Central Labor Council of Everett, and the Everett, WA chapter of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) until it ceased publication
in October 1978.
Orig
inally published
in 1891 as an annual newsletter for the Everett, WA chapter of AFL, the
Labor Journal quickly became the vehicle for Progressive politics and Labor Union news
in Everett and surround
ing regions through the political savvy of its leadership.
In 1905, future WA State Senator, John E. Campbell became bus
iness manager of the
Labor Journal partner
ing with editor and part-owner Ernest P. Marsh. By 1909, the duo was publish
ing the
Labor Journal weekly and was keep
ing union members and the general public
informed about Labor issues and perspectives. The need for such
information is expla
ined by the Wash
ington State Federation of Labor (WFL)
in History of the Washington State Federation of Labor, 1902-1954, which states, “For the most part the daily papers and some weekly papers,
in times of
industrial disputes and on other matters, have either taken a lukewarm attitude toward the labor side or have been openly hostile.” By focus
ing on issues relevant to local unions, the Journal enjoyed cont
inued support and readership
in the thousands. Campbell was elected state Senator
in 1912 and authored the eight-hour workday bill for Wash
ington women. Marsh became WFL President
in 1913, an office he held until 1918.
In 1917, he was appo
inted by Woodrow Wilson to the President’s Mediation Commission; of which he acted as Director, 1943-1949.
Likewise, the
Labor Journal enjoyed success and support until 1978 when the paper’s control board ruled that “only bus
inesses with union employees should be solicited for advertis
ing. But revenues from such ads were not enough to susta
in the publication and also pay an adequate salary to an editor.” Accord
ing to Jack Morgan of the
Everett Herald [LCCN: sn 86071992], this rul
ing resulted
in the resignation of the
Labor Journal’s editor and an ad salesman, both from the Meatcutters Local 151 of Everett who started the short-lived meatcutters’ union publication,
The Journal [LCCN: n/a]. The control board claimed that the similarity of the two titles confused readers and advertisers result
ing
in decreased circulation for the
Labor Journal. However, the meatcutters were not the only union to branch out and create their own newsletter around this time.
Whether
The Journal confused readers and advertisers or the
increas
ing number of unions publish
ing their own newsletters had a hand
in the decl
ine of the
Labor Journal, it was, nonetheless, the last and longest-runn
ing weekly labor journal
in Wash
ington State.
Essay Notes
American Federation of Labor.
Labor Journal’s 60th Annual Yearbook. Everett, WA: Puget Press. 1951.
Morgan, Jack. “Labor’s Love Lost? ‘Oldest and Last’ Union Newspaper May Be Gone Soon.”
Everett Herald. September 27, 1978. p.3A.
Wash
ington State Federation of Labor.
History of Washington State Federation of Labor, 1902-1954. Seattle, WA: The Federation. 1954.
Research
- N.W. Ayer & Son's American newspaper annual 1910 year 922 page
- N.W. Ayer & Son's American newspaper annual 1920 year 995 page
- NDNP Candidate Title List (Appendix A1.2)
- Chronicling America record (LOC) - Labor Journal
- WorldCat record - Labor journal
- WSL record - Labor journal
- UW record - Labor journal
TopReel
- Filmed by: UW
- Positives held by: UW
- Negatives held by: UW
- Call Number: Microfilm A6311
- 18 reels: 1909-1978 (with gaps)
Notes
Reduction ratio: 22X reel 1, 21X reel 2, 22x reel
lrobinson, 2009/02/17 14:19Evaluation
See
Labor Journal eval spreadsheets (Google)Totals
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