Labor Unions in the Ozarks

Excerpts from the Work of Neal Moore

In 1983, Neal W. Moore, a retired union printer, publisher, and editor, founded the Ozarks Labor Union Archives (OLUA) with a few files and borrowed closet space. Mr. Moore's passion for labor history and working class issues, his involvement in the Ozarks Labor Historical Society, and his acquaintance with Missouri State Economics professor J. David Lages led to the establishment of the archives.

His appreciation of and dedication to the preservation of labor's history drove him to create a labor archives in a region considered to have few, if any, unions. Over two decades later, OLUA is a major repository for labor and working class records, with over 100 collections totaling over 1,300 linear feet of primary source material.

As part of his interest in labor issues, Mr. Moore wrote a great deal about the Ozarks' labor history and often spoke at conferences and to other groups. Much of that research has been compiled into an unpublished work, Labor Unions in the Ozarks.

This website takes the opportunity to showcase portions of Mr. Moore's work, who passed away in September 2005 at 90 years of age. Select a link below to view the article.