Scope and Content Note
The papers of Winn I. Newman (1924-1994) span the years 1876-1995, with the bulk of the papers concentrated in the period from 1979 to 1991. The majority of the items document Newman's career as a lawyer who specialized in employment discrimination and labor law focusing principally on wage discrimination based on sex and race. The collection consists of eight series: Chronological File, Legal File, Subject File, Speeches and Writings File, Miscellany, 1999 Addition, 2015 Addition, Restricted File and Oversize.
The Chronological File, 1990-1992, consists chiefly of outgoing letters from Newman and his staff to lawyers, court clerks, clients, and government officials. The majority of the correspondence pertains to Newman's cases and office administrative matters. Also included are legal documents, a few personal letters, and correspondence with various individuals and organizations opposing the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the United States Supreme Court in 1991. Many of the cases appearing in the Chronological File are further documented in the Legal File.
The Legal File, 1883-1993, constitutes the bulk of the collection, documenting Newman's career specializing in women's and minority rights litigation. The series contains briefs, depositions, orders, motions, exhibits, and transcripts relating to Newman's clients and cases from 1979 through 1992, especially his work as assistant general counsel, general counsel, and attorney in private practice for the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Newman's precedent-setting lawsuit for AFSCME, based on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, earned national attention and ultimately led to a settlement of several hundred million dollars in increased wages for women employed by the state of Washington. His success with American Federation of State, County, & Municipal Employees v. Washington led to other pay equity lawsuits in the late 1970s and 1980s and evoked a national debate on the issue of "comparable worth."
While serving as counsel for the International Union of Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers (IUE) from 1961 to 1965 and 1971 to 1981, Newman also brought other issues of law to the forefront such as pregnancy discrimination (General Electric Co. v. Gilbert), union access to an employer's equal employment opportunity data, and sex and race wage discrimination (Westinghouse cases). Overlap between the IUE and the AFSCME files occurred when Newman left the electrical workers union in 1981 to become general counsel of AFSCME.
The majority of Newman's clients were labor unions, although he also represented individuals and organizations such as the Americans for Democratic Action and the American Association of Retired Persons. He assisted the latter group in preparing a statement of opposition to Thomas's nomination to the Supreme Court. Two of the largest cases in the series, New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council v. Hotel Association of New York City, Inc. and Service Employees' International Union v. County of Los Angeles, indicate the extensive amount of background material relating to job classification, job evaluation, and salary standards included in the collection, in particular for women and minorities.
The Subject File, 1938-1992, further illustrates Newman's interest in wage discrimination and civil rights. The series chronicles his connection with organizations and committees such as the Americans for Democratic Action, Montgomery County Council Compensation Task Force, National Committee on Pay Equity, and the National Organization for Women. Other subjects prominently featured in the file are comparable worth, job evaluation, wage discrimination, and pay equity. Pay equity files contain extensive documentation about the activities of various states in regard to compensation issues.
The Speeches and Writings File, 1950-1992, consists chiefly of Newman's speeches and articles and his research material for speeches. A separate file contains notes for Newman's memoirs.
The Miscellany series, 1938-1992, includes personal correspondence, biographical information, family papers, school papers, and printed matter. Much of the personal correspondence relates to inquiries about employment early in Newman's career. The family papers includes a brief undated biography of Newman by his sister.
The 1999 Addition series, 1974-1993, complements Newman's papers received in previous installments. The bulk of the addition pertains principally to legal cases, particularly Newman's work with the International Union of Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers and the United Automobile Workers. The 2015 Addition, 1966-1995, relates chiefly to Newman's representation of members of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild in a class action complaint against the Washington Post citing discrimination against employees based on race, sex, and age. Also included in the 2015 Addition are photocopies of decisions on comparable worth by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from 1966 to 1979.