The ''Seattle Union Record'' was a union-owned newspaper edited by
Harry Ault.
The paper was published weekly from February 20, 1900 to April 2, 1918 and was published daily from April 24, 1918 until it discontinued publication in 1928.
In its own words, the newspaper was "Published for Principle and Not for Profit".
History
Harry Ault was instrumental in the temporary success of the ''Union Record''.
Prior to working as the editor of the ''Union Record'' Ault worked for various other newspaper organizations. As a child, he worked as a
newsboy selling the ''
Kentucky Post
''The Cincinnati Post'' was an afternoon daily newspaper published in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. In Northern Kentucky, it was bundled inside a local edition called ''The Kentucky Post''. The ''Post'' was a founding publication and onetime f ...
''.
At 11 he started the ''Amateur's Friend'' and was selling the ''
Weekly People'' the next year.
He would later publish ''The Young Socialist'' and at age 19 became the editor of ''
The Socialist''.
Nine years later, in 1912, he began to work as the editor of the ''Union Record'' which had a circulation of 3,000.
The ''Union Record'' went daily on the afternoon of April 24, 1918, launching with a daily circulation 40,000 — a number equal to about 90% of the trade unionists in the city of Seattle;
["Seattle Unions Have Daily Labor Paper,"]
''The Labor World'' uluth, MN vol. 25, no. 42 (June 1, 1918), pg. 1. this made it the country's first daily labor newspaper. The paper obtained wire service from
United Press International, posting $100,000 security with the firm in the form of bonds to guarantee the costs occurring through telegraphic news reporting.
Economical production was made possible by the company's ownership of three fast
web printing presses.
From its humble origins with a print run of 3,000 copies, circulation of the ''Union Record'' would ultimately peak at the 80,000 mark.
The paper would play a large role in organizing and supporting the
Seattle General Strike of 1919.
The name was revived in November 2000 as the name of an online newspaper run by the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild when journalists from the ''
Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' and ''
Seattle Times
''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington st ...
'' went on strike. It ceased publication in January 2001.
Footnotes
Archives
Harry E.B. Ault papers 1899–1956. 5.46 cubic feet (13 boxes). A
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections.
1900 establishments in Washington (state)
Defunct newspapers published in Washington (state)
Newspapers published in Seattle
Political newspapers
Works about the labor movement
1928 disestablishments in Washington (state)
Newspapers established in 1900
Publications disestablished in 1928
{{Washington-newspaper-stub