Jules Weinberg was born circa 1920 in New York City to Moe and Grace Weinberg. He became involved with the labor movement in 1946 through his work at the St. Francis Xavier Labor School in New York City; by teaching classes, working on the infamous Port of New York Waterfront issues, writing articles, and directing radio programs, Weinberg caught the attention of several individuals who were highly influential in the labor movement at the time, including John Riffe.
In 1952, Weinberg began working for the CIO directly as a representative to the southern states. He also served as Director of Publications and Education for the AFL-CIO Joint Organizing Committee, Special Assistant to the Executive Vice President of the CIO, and Internal Representative of the United Automobile Workers, CIO during his tenure with the union. He organized extensively with the Textile Workers’ Union and the Citrus and Allied Workers division in Florida, and also worked with the Savannah River Plant in Georgia. He continued to pursue journalism, and was published in Look, Collier’s, Harper’s, and the Reader’s Digest. He was also a regular contributor to the Washington Star.
In 1956, Weinberg left the CIO to work for the Asia Foundation, a public charity (which was, at the time, funded secretly solely through the CIA) focusing on various needs in Asian countries to dissuade the countries from turning to communism to solve their social issues. As an employee for the Asia Foundation, he served as the Labor Advisor in Pakistan until 1959. During his time in Pakistan, he worked closely with the West Pakistan Confederation of Labor Institute, and developed the training program for the All-Pakistan Confederation of Labor. He also founded the International Labor Advisory Service, a non-profit organization and newsletter service discussing international labor issues.
Weinberg returned to the United States in 1959, and began working at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, DC as the Chief of the International Trade Fairs division.
Weinberg died on March 19, 1961, at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC. He was survived by his parents, his wife, Isolde, his daughter, Laura, and his son, Jonathan.
The Jules Weinberg Papers collection contains 2 linear feet of records focused on the professional career of Mr. Weinberg from 1946-1960. The collection consist mainly of correspondence, notes, articles, newspaper clippings, and professional documents associated with his involvement in labor organizing for the CIO, Asia Foundation, and Department of Labor. The collection is divided into four series: Series 1, Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO); Series 2, Asia Foundation; Series 3, Department of Labor; and Series 4, Photograph.
Series 1 (1946-1956) focuses on Weinberg's work in the CIO, including early paperwork, pamphlets, and letters from his time as an organizer at the Port of New York, and testimonials and leaflets from his organizing tours through the South, including his work with the Savannah River Plant in Georgia and the Citrus and Allied Workers in Florida. It also contains articles that he wrote during this time, exploring connections between organized labor and various other institutions, and biographies that he collected and wrote about influential people within the CIO. Personal and business correspondence with associates spans the entire period of his employment. His collections of internal documents are also represented, including some manuals, newspapers and newsletters, and conference notes.
Series 2 (1954-1959) contains materials relating to Weinberg's work with the Asia Foundation, including personal and professional correspondence before, during, and after his tenure in Pakistan, notes and programs from conferences he attended as a representative of the foundation, field notes from his work with Pakistani groups, and articles and newsletters he published during this time. This collection also contains interesting material regarding the differences in running a daily household in Pakistan from America, and original tour guides for the newly formed Pakistan region.
Series 3 (1955-1960), Department of Labor, is a smaller collection than the previous two, due to his short tenure at the department before his death. This collection consists primarily of employment paperwork and government newsletters.
Series 4 (1953) consists of a single group photograph, taken at the Fifteenth Annual CIO Convention.
The Jules Weinberg Papers consists of four series:
None
This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
Donated by Jonathan Chapin, son of Jules Weinberg, in December of 2009.
Processing completed in April 2010 by Lauren Kanne. EAD markup completed in April 2010 by Lauren Kanne.
This series consists of various materials relating to Weinberg's work for the CIO, including campaigns he contributed to, traveling he did for the organization, pamphlets, and testimonials he collected from workers.
This series consists of various materials from Weinberg's tenure in Pakistan as a representative of the Asia Foundation, including newsletters he published and personal and professional correspondence.
This series consists of materials from Weinberg's employment with the Department of Labor, focusing on entry employment paperwork.
This series consists of one photograph of the participants at the C.I.O. Fifteenth Constitutional Convention. This convention took place in Cleveland, Ohio, November 16-20, 1953.
Stamped "Central ___, 15 S. Virginia Ave., Atlantic City, N.J."