John W. Shaughnessy, Jr., President, Correspondence, 1985

Ballots on affiliation sent to members, January 30, 1985; CWA, IBEW, and Connecticut Union of Telephone Workers' propaganda against TIU affiliating with AFSCME; correspondence between Shaughnessy and George Sherwood, President, and George Carlson, Vice President, Connecticut Union of Telephone Workers; re. affiliation vote defeated and plans to "regroup and strengthen the TIU" underway; re. disaffiliation of CUTW and UTW; AFL-CIO rejection of TIU application for affiliation; Shaughnessy becomes "full-time" President of TIU; 14-page "TIU Eighth Annual Convention Summary" (ff.29); CWA and IBEW continue to create roadblocks for TIU affiliation with any other AFL-CIO unions; announcement of need for serious organizing campaign due to membership decline; upcoming 1986 bargaining issues; locals holding back per capita dues owed to TIU; other TIU locals vote to disaffiliate; 4-page letter to members from Shaughnessy discussing the difficulties: "I have given it my best shot... cannot in good conscience recommend either of these two unions [IBEW and CWA] to the TIU membership," announces his resignation as President, August 14, 1985 (ff.34); Jesus Orosco elected President effective September 1, 1985 (ff.34); TIU office closes effective September 30, 1985; TIU dissolves effective March 31, 1986, 11:59 pm.