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Collection Guide

∞ http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt9g5037z3

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Finding aid of the Working Group Records

2008/005, 2009/007

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Table of contents

Container List

Series I: Working Group Organization Files, 1984-2002

Physical Description: 147 folders.

Scope and Content

Series I: Working Group Organization Files is comprised of the operational records of The Working Group and reflects the activities of the organization to promote, research, fund, and produce shows. In addition, the series contains meeting notes, minutes, and correspondence of the Working Group’s Board. Subseries A: Outreach includes records created by The Working Group’s outreach efforts to promote its projects to allied organizations for publicity, financing, and promotion. Records include press releases and news clippings reflecting media coverage of the projects in which the group was involved. Outreach materials include a Working Group history, biographies of Will Durst, and the resumes of Working Group producers. Event materials from conferences, film festivals, and affiliate events that the Working Group attended or hosted to promote their projects and seek funding represent another important segment of this subseries. Highlights include Working Group’s planning and promotion of two important annual outreach events: the Crystal Lee Sutton Awards and the Joady Awards. Subseries B: Production contains information on acquired works, interns, and film project pitches; Subseries C: Research and Planning contains research on topics that the Working Group was considering including in one of their documentary productions; Subseries D contains tape orders and invoices as well as a budget and several financial statements and information on funding sources; Subseries E: Meeting Minutes and Notes contains a mix of board communications, financial reports and meeting agendas as well as notebooks and meeting minutes.

Arrangement

The series is subdivided into subseries by the generating activity or records function: Subseries A: Outreach; Subseries B: Production; Subseries C: Research and Planning; Subseries D: Financial; Subseries E: Meeting Minutes and Notes.

Subseries A. Outreach, 1984-2000

Physical Description: 114 folders

Subseries B: Production, 1990-2002

Physical Description: 4 folders

Subseries C: Research, 1990-1997

Physical Description: 4 folders

Subseries D: Financial, 1991-2000

Physical Description: 17 folders

Subseries E: Meeting Minutes and Notes, 1991-1998

Physical Description: 8 folders

Series II: California Working Series Files, 1984-1992

Physical Description: 36 folders.

Scope and Content

Series II is made up of records generated from the Working Group’s production of the California Working newsmagazine.

Arrangement

The series is subdivided by activity and function into five subseries: Subseries A: Series Outreach; Subseries B: Series Production; Subseries C: Series Research; Subseries D: Series Financial. Subseries A: Series Outreach includes series promotional materials, feedback letters from viewers, and press coverage of the show. Subseries B: Series Production includes tape logs, planning notes, and show scripts. Subseries C: Series Research contains supporting research materials for California Working segments. Subseries D: Series Financial contains a folder of financial statements and tax returns.

Subseries A. Series Outreach, 1984-1992

Physical Description: 22 folders.

Subseries B. Series Production, ca. 1984-1988

Physical Description: 4 folders.

Subseries C. Series Research, ca. 1984-1989

Physical Description: 9 folders.

Subseries D. Series Financial, 1988

Physical Description: 1 folder.

Series III: We Do the Work Series Files, 1989-2005

Physical Description: 400 folders.

Scope and Content

Series III contains records created from the production of the documentary series We Do the Work. Materials in Subseries A: Series Outreach is separated into publicity, press coverage, episode study guides sections. In particular, the publicity and press coverage sections reveal the Working Group's hard-fought affiliate-by-affiliate fight to get the series broadcast in various national markets. Mailing cards, episode promotion flyers, and other promotional materials show the publicity the Working Group employed in its outreach efforts. Press coverage that resulted is also contained in this subseries. Feedback letters on the series from views of the show comprise the remainder of this subseries. Subseries B: Series Production is comprised of materials reflecting the production of segments for use in the series, including tape edit lists, tape logs, and transcripts. Subseries C: Series Research is made up of research files for use in planning potential episodes. Finally, Subseries D: Episode Files contains viewer letters, press coverage, tape and edit logs, and research materials on an episode-by-episode basis.

Arrangement

The series is subdivided by activity and function into five subseries: Subseries A: Series Outreach; Subseries B: Series Production; Subseries C: Series Research; Subseries D: Episode Files. Subseries A is divided into sections for series outreach, publicity and press coverage. Subseries D is further subdivided by episode and within episodes into outreach, production, and research sections. Titles are arranged alphabetically by title.

Subseries A. Series Outreach, 1989-2002

Physical Description: 202 folders.

Subseries B. Series Production, ca. 1994-1997

Physical Description: 7 folders.

Subseries C. Series Research, ca.1990-ca.1994

Physical Description: 7 folders.

Subseries D. Episode Files, 1989-2005

Physical Description: 253 folders.

Series IV: Livelyhood Series Files, 1995-2001

Physical Description: 378 folders.

Scope and Content

Series IV contains records created from the production of the documentary series Livelyhood. The series is subdivided by activity and function into four subseries: Subseries A: Series Outreach; Subseries B: Series Production; Subseries C: Series Research; Subseries D: Episode Files. Subseries D is subdivided by episode. Within each episode, it is subdivided into outreach, production, and research sections. Episodes are arranged chronologically. Subseries A: Series Outreach includes press releases and packets from the Working Group's promotion and publicity activities on behalf of the series at conventions, events, and conferences. The subseries also contains materials reflecting the Working Group's efforts to obtain funding via grants and sponsorships. The subseries also contains records from the Working Group’ series promotion efforts through publicity materials as well as the resulting press coverage, station distribution reports, and resulting correspondence and viewer feedback. Subseries B: Series Production contains industry publications, story pitches, meeting notes, and other files documenting the process of planning segments and shows for the series; Subseries C: Series Research contains news clippings, audience polls, and other subject files that Livelyhood producers used in planning new episode segments for the series; Subseries D: Episode Files contains the outreach, production, and research files from each individual show. Outreach files include press coverage clippings, production materials including tape logs and edit lists, episode development documents, and travel planning information; research files include web printouts, government and organizational reports, articles, and news clippings relating to each Livelyhood segment.

Arrangement

The series is subdivided by activity and function into four subseries: Subseries A: Series Outreach; Subseries B: Series Production; Subseries C: Series Research; Subseries D: Episode Files. Subseries D is subdivided by episode. Within each episode, it is subdivided into outreach, production, and research sections. Episodes are arranged chronologically.

Livelyhood Series Episodes:

Season 1, Episode 1—Shift Change

Season 1, Episode 2—Working Family Values

Season 1, Episode 3—Honey, We Bought the Company

Season 1, Episode 4—Our Towns

Season 2, Episode 1—Chipping Off the Old Block

Season 2, Episode 2—Carpool to Nirvana

Season 2, Episode 3—Night Shift

Season 3, Episode 1/Episode 2—Planet Work (Parts I and II)

Season 3, Episode 3—Working Until it Hurts

Subseries A. Series Outreach, 1995-2000

Physical Description: 138 folders.

Subseries B. Series Production, 1997-2001

Physical Description: 13 folders.

Subseries C. Series Research, 1996-2001

Physical Description: 15 folders.

Subseries D. Episode Files, 1997-2000

Physical Description: 254 folders.

Series V: Contract Productions, 1990-2005

Physical Description: 112 folders.

Scope and Content

This series is comprised of materials from The Working Group’s contract productions for clients including the AFL-CIO, Labor Institute for Public Affairs, Carpenters/Contractors Cooperative Committee, United Airlines, the California Labor Federation, Japanese Chamber of Commerce, International Longshore and Warehouse Union, the International Association of Machinists District 141, California State Building Trades Council. Records include production tape logs, scripts, and edit lists. A notable highlight is the entire production materials from the PBS documentary Test of Courage: The Making of a Firefighter, a documentary on the Oakland Fire Department.

Arrangement

This records of this series are arranged by based on film titles:

AFL-CIO Convention Video

Blue Diamond Strike (Labor Institute of Public Affairs)

Building Dreams (Carpenters/Contractors Cooperation Committee)

Buyout Zone (United Airlines Corporation)

Jack Henning Retirement

Japanese National Chamber of Commerce Anniversary

Jimmy Herman Memorial

No Butts About It (California State Building Trades Council)

Our Jobs/Our Union (IAM District 141)

Playing for Keeps (California Alliance for Jobs)

Power Switch (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers)

Powerful Learning (Bay Area School-to-Career Action Network)

Test of Courage

Turbulent Romance (Association of Flight Attendants)

Victory or Extinction (California State Building Trades Council)

We Stand for Safety (International Association of Machinists)

Voices of Victory (California State Federation of Labor)

Container List

Working Group Organization Files,

Outreach,

Production,

Research,

Financial,

Meeting Minutes and Notes,

California Working Series Files,

Series Outreach,

Series Production,

Series Research,

Series Financial,

We Do the Work Series Files,

Series Outreach,

Series Production,

Series Research,

Episode Files,

Livelyhood Series Files,

Series Outreach,

Series Production,

Series Research,

Episode Files,

Contract Productions,

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