During the Nixon administration taping period, W. J. Usery, Jr. served as the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Labor-Management Relations, a position he held from February 1969 until March 1973. In that month, President Nixon appointed him as the Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, where he was the government's chief mediator in significant national labor-management disputes. He was a key figure in resolving major labor conflicts, including the 1970 postal workers' strike.
On April 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the executive council of the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades, including Charles D. Aquandro, Frank A. Bonadio, Harold J. Buoy, Edward F. Carlough, Peter Fosco, Robert A. Georgine, Maurice A. Hutcheson, Albert E. Hutchinson, John H. ("Jack") Lyons, Thomas F. Murphy, William Peitler, Charles H. Pillard, Joseph T. Power, S. Frank Raftery, Joseph P. Ricciarelli, Peter T. Shoeman, Louis Sherman, Hunter P. Wharton, Richard W. Williams, James D. Hodgson, Willie J. Usery, Jr., Henry A. Kissinger, Charles W. Colson, the White House photographers, and members of the press, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 5:05 pm to 6:03 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 054-001 of the White House Tapes.
On May 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, George Meany, and Willie J. Usery, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:57 pm to 4:14 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 495-021 of the White House Tapes.
On June 14, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and railway union leaders, including Frank T. Gladney, John J. McNamara, C. J. Coughlin, William W. Winpisinger, Charles J. Chamberlain, Anthony L. Krause, C. L. Dennis, J. R. Tipton, A. T. Otto, Jr., Charles R. Pfenning, J. W. O'Brien, Richard W. Smith, James E. Yost, Charles E. Goodlin, Harold C. Crotty, Charles Luna, John A. Volpe, Charles W. Colson, George T. Bell, Willie J. Usery, Jr., and James D. Hodgson, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 11:54 am and 11:59 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 061-002 of the White House Tapes.
On July 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Willie J. Usery, Jr., Stephen B. Bull, Stephen B. Bull, John B. Connally, George P. Shultz, John D. Ehrlichman, Charles W. Colson, George H. Mahon, White House operator, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:52 pm and 5:04 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 541-002 of the White House Tapes.
On July 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Willie J. Usery, Jr. talked on the telephone from 2:55 pm to 2:56 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 006-175 of the White House Tapes.
On July 30, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and representatives from the United Transportation Union and railroad management, including Stephen Ailes, John P. ("Jack") Hiltz, Charles Luna, George P. Shultz, James D. Hodgson, John A. Volpe, Gen. George A. Lincoln, Willie J. Usery, Jr., Arnold R. Weber, Paul W. McCracken, and Ronald L. Ziegler, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 9:37 am and 10:23 am. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 067-001 of the White House Tapes.
On August 3, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Willie J. Usery, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:53 am to 9:56 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 269-012 of the White House Tapes.
On September 10, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and labor union representatives, including I[lorwith] W. Abel, [Joseph] A. Beirne, John H. ("Jack") Lyons, George Meany, Leonard Woodcock, Frank E. Fitzsimmons, [Joseph] Lane Kirkland, John B. Connally, James D. Hodgson, George P. Shultz, Arthur F. Burns, Paul W. McCracken, Willie J. Usery, and Ronald L. Ziegler, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 10:13 am and 12:39 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 072-001 of the White House Tapes.
On January 28, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and members of the Construction Industry Collective Bargaining Commission, including James D. Hodgson, Richard C. Van Dusen, J. Curtis Counts, John T. Dunlop, Frank A. Bonadio, Maurice A. Hutcheson, Martin J. Ward, Hunter P. Wharton, Carl M. Halvorson, Robert L. Higgins, John A. Stastny, Laurence H. Silberman, Willie J. Usery, Jr., Michael H. Moskow, Peter Fosco, John H. ("Jack") Lyons, Charles H. Pillard, Joseph T. Power, Thomas H. Owens, William E. Dunn, James H. Ferguson, Joseph Rich, George A. Miller, Fred R. Stevens, Dale R. Witcraft, David P. Lafayette, E. Carl Uehlein, Jr., D. Quinn Mills, Edward F. Carlough, John W. Healy, II, Robert A. Georgine, William Sidell, and Donald H. Rumsfeld, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 2:59 pm to 3:50 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 088-003 of the White House Tapes.
On September 11, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Joseph T. DeSilva, Willie J. Usery, Jr., Charles W. Colson, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:05 pm to 12:24 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 774-017 of the White House Tapes.
On September 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Joseph P. Tonelli, Laurence H. Silberman, Willie J. Usery, Jr., Donald F. Rodgers, White House photographer, unknown person(s), and James D. Hodgson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:54 am to 11:17 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 787-006 of the White House Tapes.
On September 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and presidents of building trades unions, including John H. ("Jack") Lyons, Martin J. Ward, Peter Fosco, Thomas F. Murphy, Andrew T. Haas, Wylie Lawhead, Kenneth M. Edwards, Hunter P. Wharton, Joseph T. Power, Charles H. Pillard, Edward J. Carough, James D. Hodgson, Laurence H. Silberman, Willie J. Usery, Jr., and S. Frank Raftery, as well as Stephen B. Bull and the White House photographer, met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:04 pm to 12:30 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 787-012 of the White House Tapes.
On October 13, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, staff, and members of the executive board of the Utility Workers of America, including Donald F. Rodgers, Willie J. Usery, Jr., Harold T. Rigley, James Joy, Jr., Patrick Gallagher, C. J. Luciano, and Valentine Murphy, members of the press, and the White House photographer, met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:02 pm to 12:20 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 797-012 of the White House Tapes.
On February 28, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Willie J. Usery, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:15 am and 9:01 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 865-006 of the White House Tapes.