The records of Committee for Support of International Trade Union Rights (CISTUR) document the history, political work and research of this San Francisco-based labor organization during the tenure of Executive Secretary Aubrey Grossman, from 1983-1995. CISTUR was dedicated to promoting international labor solidarity by educating Northern California trade unionists about the conditions and struggles of workers in other countries; organizing campaigns in support of foreign workers; and making connections between exploitation of workers abroad and at home. There are a wide range of documents in the collection, dating back to the organization's founding in 1982. The records include materials related to CISTUR's organization and history, meetings, political actions (aka CISTUR campaigns) and conferences; bulletins; correspondence; mass mailings; petitions and resolutions; articles from scholarly journals, labor journals and the popular press; educational pamphlets; flyers; manuscripts; newspaper clippings; notes; and reports.

The predecessor organization to Committee for Support of International Trade Union Rights (CISTUR) was the Trade Union Committee for a Transfer Amendment. Civil rights activist and labor attorney Aubrey Grossman joined with Northern California union officials to support the Transfer Amendment, a Congressional amendment that proposed transferring budget funds from the military to social needs programs. Their success in getting local unions and central labor bodies to support a Trade Union Transfer Resolution motivated Grossman to broaden his horizons. One of his goals was to get organized labor to pass a Trade Union Freedom and Human Rights Resolution asking the U.S. to deny military and economic aid to countries that denied workers the right to organize. One way to achieve passage of the resolution was to promote international trade union solidarity.

4.5 Cubic Feet (4 cartons, 1 document box)

Collection is open for research.