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Peace and Jobs Coalition (La Crosse, Wisconsin) Records

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 082

Scope and Contents

Materials include background information, newspaper clippings, state and national background materials, articles of incorporation and by-laws, committee materials, Coordinating Council materials, correspondence, minutes, newsletters, project information, financial materials, and materials from related organizations.

Dates

  • 1980-1990

Creator

Access to Materials

Materials in this collection are available for patron use.

Historical Note

The Peace and Jobs Coalition (PJC) was an organization comprised of an alliance of individuals from church, labor, and community organizations working for peace. The PJC formed in response to the loss of jobs related to the growing number of nuclear weapons and increased defense spending. The group supported world peace, weapons reductions, weapon freezes, and union activity. They also took a strong stance against U.S. involvement with the Contras in Nicaragua.

Forty-four people attended the first PJC meeting on December 6, 1981. As the group became organized, general membership was lead by a coordinating council made up of ten persons. Six members of the council were elected from the general membership. Four of the ten persons were elected by each of four standing committees. Those four committees included the Finance Committee, the Public Relations Committee, the Political and Legislative Research Committee, and the Internal Communications Committee.

Usually PJC meetings included a business portion and an educational portion. The educational part of the meetings included information related to the purposes of the coalition and work on PJC projects.

Projects and events undertaken by PJC included rallies and marches, workshops and presentations, fundraising, guest editorials to the La Crosse Tribune, several press conferences, annual leafleting on April 15, and several retreats.

The PJC worked to include a referendum on the November 1982 La Crosse election ballot asking the Common Council to request the president and Congress agree with the Soviet Union to stop the testing, production and installation of nuclear weapons. The referendum passed by a vote of 7,408 to 4,213.

Members also participated in the Freeze Voter '84 campaign during which members walked door-to-door in neighborhoods to enlist voters to elect candidates to national and state offices who favored weapon freezes.

The organization became dormant and published their last newsletter in January 1990. Reasons given for the dormant status included lack of funds and people to carry on the organization's objectives.

Extent

0.6 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

An organization active in La Crosse, Wisconsin, from 1980-1990 that supported world peace, weapons reductions, weapon freezes, and union activity. They also took a strong stance against U.S. involvement with the Contras in Nicaragua.

Materials include background information, newspaper clippings, state and national background materials, articles of incorporation and by-laws, committee materials, Coordinating Council materials, correspondence, minutes, newsletters, project information, financial materials, and materials from related organizations.

Acquisitions Information

(Accession no. 2005.033) Donated by Robert Bilby, April 2005

Related Materials

Missing Title

(Clipping file)
Organizations--Peace and Jobs Coalition
(Ephemera file)
Organizations--Peace and Jobs Coalition
(LP 232)
Peac and Jobs Coalition Newsletter

Physical Description

2 archives boxes

Processing Information

Processed by Christine Stolz, 2005

Title
Guide to the Peace and Jobs Coalition (La Crosse, Wisconsin) Records, 1980-1990
Status
Completed
Author
Christine Stolz
Date
2005
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the La Crosse Public Library Archives Repository

Contact:
800 Main St.
La Crosse Wisconsin 54601
(608) 789-7136