The collection of records of United Steel Workers of America, Local 1010, traces the history of this Inland Steel Company local union from 1938 to 1986. Most of the records, however, concentrate on the period 1938 through 1960.

A major strength of the collection focuses upon a series of general meeting minutes, 1942-1959. These volumes contain minutes from various "groups" within the local (e.g., Group #1, Blast Furnace, or Group #2, Open Hearth). Minutes detail the issues of concern to most unions, including working conditions, safety, job classification, seniority, and apprenticeships. Some specific grievances are described, along with elections of various grievers. Earlier volumes provide more descriptive information as the young steelworkers union determined its direction and policies in dealing with management. Minutes of the Political Action Committee (1950-1955) reveal discussions of workers' legal rights as well as statements of local candidates seeking endorsement by Local 1010. While the PAC volume contains a few references to non-union causes, such as rents in East Chicago, these minutes center upon organized labor and its political concerns.

Grievance Committee records (1938-1960) supply data on types of grievances and specific cases. Committee minutes also comprise general views of safety, vacations, seniority, and discrimination (health or religious reasons). Similar to the group minutes, earlier grievance minutes furnish more details, particularly the records of meetings with management.

A large series of strike records (1949-1959) provides the highlight of this collection. From the 1949 strike to the 116 day stoppage in 1959, the records yield information on negotiations, strike strategy, picket line housekeeping, and union and company communications to the workers. Of particular interest are files of picket line newsletters, The Strike Sentinel (1956) and 1010 Steelworker News- On the Picket Lines (1959). These newsletters furnished picketers with updates on contract talks, proposals, government intervention, and progress of the strike; they also served to boost morale and rally members to continue to hold out for union demands. Transcripts of negotiations and correspondence from the USWA, Inland Steel, and Local 1010 offer insight into the concerns about causes of the strike, usually differences over wages, benefits, and companies' concerns about inflation. The series vividly portrays the era when organized labor exhibited a powerful and unified voice in determining the direction of the nation's industrial economy.

For researchers interested in steel production and division of labor, series of job and wage classifications define duties and salaries of many types of jobs in the mills. Wage incentive plans furnish a useful picture of the speed-up system in the steel industry.

Finally, a run of the local's newspaper, The 1010 Steelworker, (1957-1986) constitutes another significant series in the collection. While earlier issues concentrate on contracts, safety, and other working conditions, later issues illustrate 1010's activities in broader social and political concerns. The local has gained a reputation for activism, and the newspaper offers examples of 1010's involvement in local politics, pollution crusades, and anti-nuclear campaigns.

Although the USWA Local 1010 Records lack much information on worker's lives and attitudes outside of the union structure, they supply significant information on one of the oldest and most active locals in the nation. The collection serves as a valuable resource for the study of the "old labor history", that is, the activities of unions, in the largest steel making region in the United States. Researchers should note that an early history of steelworker organizing in East Chicago is located in Box 1, File Folder 1.