Southeast Women's Employment Coalition records, 1868-1991, bulk 1981-1990
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Summary
- Creator:
- Southeast Women's Employment Coalition
- Extent:
- 103.5 Linear Feet
62,100 items - Language:
- English.
- Collection ID:
- RL.01272
Background
- Scope and content:
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The Southeast Women's Employment Coalition Records (SWEC) span the period 1868 to 1991 with the bulk dating from 1981 to 1990. The multiracial, regional organization was founded chiefly to expand employment opportunities for women in the rural South. Correspondence, financial records, reports, printed material, personnel files, photographs, audiovisual material, writings, meeting minutes, and conference papers comprise the majority of the collection. Well documented are the Southeast Women's Employment Coalition's efforts: to provide leadership training for women; to encourage women to apply for nontraditional jobs, for example through its Women's Opportunity in Road Construction (WORC) Project; to promote women's employment in the tourism industry; to evaluate economic, social and political trends affecting women in the South such as child care, comparable worth, and nontraditional jobs for women; and to establish ties with other organizations seeking to improve women's economic status. Administrative concerns relating to the Southeast Women's Employment Coalition, including personnel, financial, and organizational issues are also well described. Represented extensively are their efforts to raise money from private foundations and businesses. Organizations highlighted in the collection include Public Affairs Research and Communications, Inc. and the Women's Technical Assistance Project. In general, information concerning these topics and organizations is scattered throughout the collection.
Leadership training for women, for example through workshops and conferences, is documented by the Research Director's Files Series, Writings Series, Project Files Series, Conference Files Series, Printed Material Series, Office Files Series, and Audiovisual Series. In addition, there is information on efforts to encourage women's employment in highway construction and tourism through congressional hearings and writings in the Research Director's Files Series, General Files Series, Project Files Series, Highways Projects Files Series, Pictures Series, and Audiovisual Series.
Papers evaluating the economic, social, and political trends affecting women in the South such as child care issues and salaries are found in the Research Director's Files Series, Office Files Series, Writings Series, General Files Series, Project Files Series, Highways Projects Files Series, Subject Files Series, Conference Files Series, Organizations Series, Printed Material Series, and Audiovisual Series. Attempts to establish ties with other organizations are found in the Research Director's Files Series, Office Files Series, Financial Papers Series, General Files Series, Proposals Series, Highways Projects Files Series, Conference Files Series, Organizations Series, and Audiovisual Series. The organizations include the Restaurant Employees Association of Lexington, Ky., Tradeswomen, Inc., and Women for Economic Justice.
Administrative concerns relating to the Southeast Women's Employment Coalition are addressed by the Research Director's Files Series, Board and Staff Meetings Series, Office Files Series, Correspondence Series, Financial Papers Series, Personnel Files Series, General Files Series, Proposals Series, Project Files Series, and Audiovisual Series. Information pertaining to Public Affairs Research and Communications, Inc. and the Women's Technical Assistance Project are included in the Proposals Series, Office Files Series, General Files Series, Organizations Series, and the Project Files Series.
- Biographical / historical:
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Date Event 1979 Founded in Tennessee as a fusion of fourteen regional organizations1980 Filed administrative complaints with the United States Department of Labor and the United States Department of TransportationBegan Leadership Development Program to assist grass-roots organizing1981 Implemented road construction job recruitment projects, involving the Women's Asphalt Alliance1982 Began first cycle of leadership trainingBegan Education and Research Project, which collected and circulated economic data providing employment statistics for women workersHeadquarters moved to Lexington, Ky.Lobbied successfully to amend Federal Highway Act and Surface Transportation Act of 19821983 Assisted in filing successful class action suit against the Missouri Highways and Transportation DepartmentBegan Women's Opportunity in Road Construction (WORC) Project1984 Launched Department of Transportation investigation of state hiring and employment practicesSponsored "Women Organizing Women" ConferenceFirst fellowships awarded by Leadership Development Program for work with Blue Collar Women organizationWomen's Opportunity in Road Construction produced a statistical report profiling state Department Of Transportation hiring practices1985 Established Southern Dollars Campaign1987 Formed Women's Opportunity in Road Construction Strategy Committee and compiled Women's Opportunity in Road Construction Fact PackLaunched Tourism Project in conjunction with Economics Research Project and sponsored a meeting of fifty womenLobbied to increase the federal minimum wage1990 Headquarters moved to Atlanta, Ga.1991, March 1 Offices closed due to lack of funding - Acquisition information:
- The Southeast Women's Employment Coalition Records (1868-1991) were donated to the Special Collections Department in 1991 by Margo Smith.
- Processing information:
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The files the Southeast Women's Employment Coalition kept contained considerable overlap of topics. Since this collection was processed at a minimal level, information on particular subjects and organizations may be found in more than one series.
Processed by Janie Morris
Date Completed: February 8, 1994
Finding Aid Updated December 21, 2003
Encoded by Alvin Pollock; Stacey Clark
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Subjects
Click on terms below to find related finding aids on this site. For other related materials in the Duke University Libraries, search for these terms in the Catalog.
- Subjects:
- Women -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Southern States
Rural women -- Southern States -- Social conditions
Leadership -- Study and teaching
Rural women -- Southern States -- Social networks
Tourist trade -- Southern States -- Employees
Road construction industry -- United States
Rural women -- Southern States -- Training of
Women's Opportunity in Road Construction Project
Rural women -- Southern States -- Economic conditions
Rural women -- Employment -- Southern States - Names:
- Public Affairs Research and Communications, Inc.
Southeast Women's Employment Coalition
Women's Technical Assistance Project
Contents
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Using These Materials
- Restrictions:
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Collection is open for research.
- Terms of access:
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The copyright interests in the Southeast Women's Employment Coalition have not been transferred to Duke University. For further information, see the section on copyright in the Regulations and Procedures of the Special Collections Department.
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- Please consult our up-to-date information for visitors page, as our services and guidelines periodically change.
- Preferred citation:
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[Identification of item], Southeast Women's Employment Coalition Records, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
- Permalink:
- https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m19m1n