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Access to this record group is unrestricted with the exception of Series 3.
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Summary
- Abstract:
- This collection documents the day-to-day activities of Council 82, the New York State Law Enforcement Officers Union, during its first two decades of existence.
- Extent:
- 9.6 cubic ft.
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Identification of specific item, series, box, folder, Council 82, Security and Law Enforcement Employees, American Federation of State, County, Municipal Employees Records, 1968-1989. M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York (hereafter referred to as the Council 82 Records).
Background
- Scope and Content:
The records of Council 82 document every year of the organization's existence with minutes, newspapers, and other material. Council 82's records are divided into six series: Executive Board Files, 1969,1972-86; Subject Files, 1968-87; Legal Files, 1976-84; T.U.F.C.O. Files, 1983-87; Sing Sing Local 1413, Records, 1972-80; and Council 82 Newspapers, 1971, 1974, 1980-89.
Council 82 was one of the first and became one of the largest and most important of the public sector unions to organize after the implementation of the Taylor Law. The records of Council 82 document how a large union organized itself at the state level and initiated a dialogue with the state of New York. One of the most important activities of Council 82 has been to negotiate contracts with the state, and minutes, newspapers, and subject files, each in different ways, elucidate the procedures and accomplishments of these negotiations.
The most extensive series is the Executive Board files, which contain correspondence and minutes of Executive Board meetings and which give a good idea of the activities of the union during almost its entire history. This series documents the entire range of Council 82's activities: political action, lobbying, and relations with the state and other unions. The other series give more detailed information on some activities of Council 82. The newspapers, for example, are the public voice of Council 82 and the clearest indication of the union's opinion about corrections policy and other matters.
The records of Sing Sing Local 1413 are records that were transferred to Council 82 when Local 1413 closed down. These are the only records that were not produced by the statewide union itself.
- Biographical / Historical:
Council 82 was formed through the merger of two unions, Councils 30 and 50. Council 30, when it began, solicited the membership of all state employees. The corrections officers decided Council 30 had neglected its duty to bargain in good faith for them and opted to establish their own union to, address more fully the rigors of their profession. In 1953, members of the Correction Officers Association (COA) negotiated with the corrections employees of Council 30 to organize their own separate union. The 662 COA members from eight prisons formed what would become Council 50. On September 3, 1969 correctional employees from Council 50 and Council 30 consolidated their efforts and formed Council 82. The union's first contract with New York State was signed In 1970.
Council 82, like other unions, lobbied the state to Increase wages and benefits but more Importantly to increase support staff throughout the state's overcrowded correctional facilities. In September 1971 a riot at the Attica Correctional Facility in Attica, New York left 11 corrections officers and 32 inmates dead. Council 82 used the incident at Attica to petition the state for more satisfactory working conditions and an increase in staff.
In April 1979, 6,400 corrections employees went on strike for 16 days. Council 82 was fined $2.5 million for contempt of court under New York's Taylor Law. The fine was later reduced to $150,000 which the court allowed to be paid in monthly installments so as to permit the union to continue operations. Council 82 also lost its privilege of dues check-off for three months as a result of the strike.
Council 82 experienced two other major hostage crises. The first was the Ossining takeover. In January 1983, 600 inmates in Cell Block B took 19 corrections officers hostage for 53 hours. Council 82 experienced its last major hostage crisis on August 1, 1988. Five corrections officers were taken hostage at the Coxsackie Correctional Facility. The officers were released, unharmed, the next day.
In 1984 The Union of Federated Corrections Officers (TUFCO) challenged Council 82 as the exclusive representative of the state's Security and Law Enforcement Employees. An election was held so that members could vote for the representative of their choice. On February 22, 1985 the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) announced Council 82's victory over the T.U.F.C.O. association.
Council 82 Is the exclusive bargaining representative of over 22,000 Security and Law Enforcement employees. With the exception of the State Police, Council 82 represents all New York State law enforcement personnel.
- Acquisition information:
- Council 82, Security and Law Enforcement Employees, AFSCME donated these records to the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections Archives.
- Processing information:
Processed in 1990 by La Nina M. Clayton.
- Arrangement:
The collection is organized into the following series: 1 - Executive Board Files: 1969, 1972-1986; 2 - Subject Files: 1968-1987; 3 - Legal Files: 1976-1984; 4 - T.U.F.C.O. (The Union of Federated Corrections Officers) Files: 1983-1987; 5 - Sing Sing Local 1413: 1972-1980; Series 6 - Council 82 Newspapers: 1971, 1974, 1980-1989.
- Physical location:
- The materials are located onsite in the department.
Contents
Access
Using These Materials
- ACCESS:
- The archives are open to the public and anyone is welcome to visit and view the collections.
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
Access to this record group is unrestricted with the exception of Series 3.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
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This page may contain links to digital objects. Access to these images and the technical capacity to download them does not imply permission for re-use. Digital objects may be used freely for personal reference use, referred to, or linked to from other web sites.
Researchers do not have permission to publish or disseminate material from these collections without permission from an archivist and/or the copyright holder.
The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright. Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) and/or by the copyright or neighboring-rights laws of other nations. More information about U.S. Copyright is provided by the Copyright Office. Additionally, re-use may be restricted by terms of University Libraries gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks.
The Department of Special Collections and Archives is eager to hear from any copyright owners who are not properly identified so that appropriate information may be provided in the future.
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Identification of specific item, series, box, folder, Council 82, Security and Law Enforcement Employees, American Federation of State, County, Municipal Employees Records, 1968-1989. M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York (hereafter referred to as the Council 82 Records).