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:

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:
Date Event
1979
Founded in Tennessee as a fusion of fourteen regional organizations
1980
Filed administrative complaints with the United States Department of Labor and the United States Department of Transportation
Began Leadership Development Program to assist grass-roots organizing
1981
Implemented road construction job recruitment projects, involving the Women's Asphalt Alliance
1982
Began first cycle of leadership training
Began Education and Research Project, which collected and circulated economic data providing employment statistics for women workers
Headquarters moved to Lexington, Ky.
Lobbied successfully to amend Federal Highway Act and Surface Transportation Act of 1982
1983
Assisted in filing successful class action suit against the Missouri Highways and Transportation Department
Began Women's Opportunity in Road Construction (WORC) Project
1984
Launched Department of Transportation investigation of state hiring and employment practices
Sponsored "Women Organizing Women" Conference
First fellowships awarded by Leadership Development Program for work with Blue Collar Women organization
Women's Opportunity in Road Construction produced a statistical report profiling state Department Of Transportation hiring practices
1985
Established Southern Dollars Campaign
1987
Formed Women's Opportunity in Road Construction Strategy Committee and compiled Women's Opportunity in Road Construction Fact Pack
Launched Tourism Project in conjunction with Economics Research Project and sponsored a meeting of fifty women
Lobbied to increase the federal minimum wage
1990
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:

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

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials


Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

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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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Southeast Women's Employment Coalition Records, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.