Union tags can be helpful in dating vintage clothes. The United Garment Workers of America tag, however, remained virtually unchanged from its first usage in 1891 until its last in 1994. The most notable change occurred c.1930, when the manufacturer number relocated from the side to the center of the label. The first two label variants date from the first decade of the 20th century. The second two are representative of what was used 1930s-1990s.
Depending on what was the tag was on, there could be different background text. Pictured is “clothing- clothing”. Other examples of background text would be “Duck Goods” or “Special Order”.
FAQs
What union represents garment workers in the United States?
the Service Employee International Union (SEIU)
Does the Ilgwu still exist?
The ILGWU merged with the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union in 1995, to form UNITE. In 2004, that organization merged with the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union to form UNITE HERE.
How much do garment workers get paid in the US?
About 85% of garment workers do not earn the minimum wage and are instead paid a piece rate of between 2-6 cents per piece. Most garment workers work 60-70 hour weeks with take home pay of about $300, according to the work rights group. The organisation welcomed the signing of the bill by Newsom
How long did the Amalgamated Clothing workers of America strike last?
The 1910 garment workers’ strike lasted from September 22 until February 1911. At its peak, the walkout involved over 40,000 mostly immigrant laborers throughout the city. Tensions over low wages, inconsistent shifts, high production quotas, and unsafe working conditions had been brewing for a long time
Who could join the ILGWU?
Most of its members were young, immigrant women from Eastern and Southern Europe. Many of them were Jewish. The ILGWU cemented its power with two large strikes in New York City.
Who does workers united represent?
Today, Workers United, an affiliate of SEIU, represents more than 86,000 workers in the apparel, textile, industrial laundry, food service, manufacturing, warehouse distribution, and non-profit industries in the United States and Canada.
What event destroyed the Knights of Labor?
The Haymarket affair resulted in the destruction of the Knights of Labor union, the largest labor union in America at the time.
What were two rules the picketers had to follow?
4) What were two rules the picketers had to follow? Don’t walk in groups of more than two or three. Don’t call anyone a ?scab? or use abusive language.
How many hours do garment workers work?
Garment workers are often forced to work 14 to 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. During peak season, they may work until 2 or 3 am to meet the fashion brand’s deadline. Their basic wages are so low that they cannot refuse overtime – aside from the fact that many would be fired if they refused to work overtime.
What is the minimum wage of a garment worker?
The latest data collected from industry sources show that the monthly minimum wages for garment workers vary significantly in the world, ranging from as low as USD $26 in Ethiopia to USD $1,764 in Belgium in 2019. The world average stood at USD $470/month that year.
Why did garment workers go on strike?
The strike began on September 22, led by 17-year old Hannah Shapiro, with sixteen women protesting the establishment of a bonus system that demanded high production rates, while also cutting in the piece rate by ¼ cent. Eventually up to 41,000 workers walked out at the peak of the strike.
Who was responsible for the Triangle Shirtwaist fire?
A fire breaks out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City, killing 146 people. Factory co-owners Isaac Harris and Max Blanck are indicted on charges of manslaughter. Harris and Blanck are brought to trial and found not guilty.
Was the shirtwaist strike successful?
The successful strike marked an important benchmark for the American labour movement, and especially for garment industry unions.
Why did people wear union suits?
The first Union Suits are easier to trace and first cropped up in Utica, New York in 1868 as women’s underwear. They were first called Emancipation suits because they liberated women from the discomfort and constriction of the painful corsets of the day.
What were union suits made of?
Traditionally made of red flannel with long arms and long legs, it buttoned up the front and had a button-up flap in the rear covering the buttocks (colloquially known as the “access hatch”, “drop seat”, “fireman’s flap”, “crap flap”, and other names).
Do union suits keep you warm?
While the main function of the union suit is still to provide an extra layer of warmth, these would make some pretty rockin’ pajamas too?especially in the cold winter months.
Why do they call them Union Suits?
The union suits of the era were usually made of knitted material and included a drop flap in the back to ease visits to the toilet. Because the top and bottom were united as a one-piece garment it received the name ?union suit¹. Hanes opened several mills producing ‘union suits’.
How old are long johns?
Long johns were first introduced into England in the 17th century, but they did not become popular as sleepwear until the 18th century. They were first used as loungewear but then later became popular in Truro, Nova Scotia.
United Garment Workers of America – Wikipedia
United Garment Workers of America UGWAUnited Garment Workers of AmericaMerged intoUnited Food and Commercial WorkersFoundedApril 1891Dissolved1994LocationUnited States of AmericaMembers 15,000 (1994)AffiliationsAFL–CIO The United Garment Workers of America (UGW or UGWA) was a United States labor union which existed between 1891 and 1994. It was an affiliate of the American Federation of Labor. History[edit] The UGWA was formed in New York in April 1891 and lead a successful strike of 16,000 garment workers in New York City in 1893, but soon adopted a more conservative, conciliatory tone with manufacturers.[1] Thomas A. Rickert of Chicago served as UGW’s president from 1904 [2] through at least 1939.[3] At the UGW’s 1914 convention in Nashville, Tennessee, a number of large urban locals, with stronger Socialist loyalties and more willingness to strike, and who represented a full two-thirds of the national membership, split off to form the rival Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America under Hillman’s founding leadership. In 1994, the UGW’s 15,000 members merged into the United Food and Commercial Workers. Strikes[edit] The union came to national attention with the 1910 Chicago Garment Workers’ Strike, which had started as a spontaneous strike on September 22, by a handful of women workers at Hart Schaffner & Marx. It spread to a citywide labor action of almost 40,000 workers that lasted until February 1911. Chicago was then the largest producer of men’s garments in the United States, Hart Schaffner & Marx the largest of Chicago manufacturers, and UGW the only union in the industry.[4] The strike was a bitter one, with hundreds of strikers injured and two killed. Future union president Sidney Hillman was a rank-and-file leader, and lawyer Clarence Darrow was involved with the settlement negotiations. The action not only pitted workers against management and against Chicago police on horseback, it also exposed divisions in the union—namely that the organization did not support its unskilled members. Similar allegations dogged the UGA’s mishandling of the 1913 New York Garment Workers Strike, a nine-week walkout of some 85,000 workers.[5] UGW strike, Rochester, New York, 1913 Later UGW strikes included one in February, 1913, in Rochester, New York, where striker Ida Braiman was killed and others wounded by gunfire.[6] During a subsequent strike in Chicago in October 1915, striker Edward Kapper was killed in a riot on October 26,[7] and 10-year-old bystander Leo Schroeder was crushed by a mob on the 29th.[8] References[edit] External links[edit] UGW papers at the Georgia State University Library
Collection: United Garment Workers of America records
Collection: United Garment Workers of America records Collection Identifier: L1992-17 Scope and Content of the Records This collection consists of the records of the United Garment Workers of America from 1893-1994. The Time and Motion Studies series (Series I) is made up of time study/ time and motion research files for the garment industry, as well as files relating to industry research and information from the first half of the twentieth century. Series II, Contracts, consists of union labor contracts, working contracts, and related correspondence. Office files relating to the functioning of the UGWA’s central headquarters are found in Series III. Also included in this series are label ledgers dating mainly from the first half of the twentieth century, and minutes of the General Executive Board’s meetings, which cover much of the period of the union’s activity. Series IV contains local union files, including financial files, grievances, correspondence, agreements and minutes. Publications, photographs, an audio tape, oversize materials, and index card files are found in Series V through VIII. Dates 1893-1994 Creator United Garment Workers of America (Organization) Restrictions on Access Collection is open for research use. Access to materials with personal or sensitive information in boxes 141, 151, 160-161, and 199-367 is restricted for 75 years from the date of creation. Terms Governing Use and Reproduction Georgia State University is the owner of the physical collection and makes reproductions available for research, subject to the copyright law of the United States and item condition. Georgia State University may or may not own the rights to materials in the collection. It is the researcher’s responsibility to verify copyright ownership and obtain permission from the copyright holder before publication, reproduction, or display of the materials beyond what is reasonable under copyright law. Researchers may quote selections from the collection under the fair use provision of copyright law. History of the United Garment Workers of America The United Garment Workers of America (UGWA) was founded in New York City in 1891 and affiliated themselves with the American Federation of Labor (AFL). They first used strikes and later promotion of the union label as ways to win gains in working conditions and wages with their employers. In 1914, a group of dissatisfied members broke away from the UGWA to form the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA). After the break, the UGWA’s numbers were much smaller, but they managed to retain membership levels until the 1950s when they began a slow decline.In the early days of the union, the UGWA had no full-time officers. Charles Reichers became the first General President at the Convention in Baltimore in 1895; he served until 1897. Following Reichers in the office of General President were B. A. Larger (1897-1904), T. A. Rickert (1904-41), Joseph P. McCurdy (1941-75), Howard Collins (1975-1977), William O’Donnell (1977-87), and Earl Carroll (1987-91). David Johnson succeeded Carroll in 1991.In 1994, the UGWA became a part of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). A year later, the UFCW also took in the United Textile Workers of America (UTWA). The UGWA and UTWA combined in 2000 to form the UFCW Textile and Garment Council. Extent 78.39 Linear Feet (in 287 boxes) Language of Materials English Additional Description Abstract: The United Garment Workers Union (UGWA) was established in 1891. UGWA lost membership when a group of dissatisfied members broke away to form the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America in 1914. Membership levels were steady until the 1950s, when they began a slow decline. In 1994, the UGWA became part of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. This collection consists of the records of the United Garment Workers of America from 1893-1994. Its eight series contain time study/ time and motion research files for the garment industry; contracts, working contracts, and related correspondence; headquarters office files, label ledgers and minutes of the General Executive Board’s meetings; local union files, including financial files, grievances, correspondence, agreements and minutes; publications;…
A Brief History of Garment Unions – From the UGWA to …
A Brief History of Garment Unions – From the UGWA to ILGWU and Beyond! ILGWU members at March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, female marchers, August 28, 1963 from Kheel Center In the early 1900s, union organizers overcame the seemingly impossible task of uniting employees in factories and small scattered shops. Surmounting ethnic divisions and hostile owners, workers built lasting labor unions within the major divisions of the garment industry. Workers United History in One Flowchart CLOTHING & TEXTILE UNION HISTORY 1891 United Garment Workers of America, UGWA, founded to organize fledgling apparel industry centered primarily on makers of work clothing. 1900 International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union founded by NYC cloak manufacturers to organize women’s and children’s apparel workers 1901 United Textile Workers of America (UTWA) founded by merging all of the smaller textile unions organized fabric workers. 1914 Divisions within the UGWA led to the formation of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA) focusing more on the men’s fashion clothing industry. 1939 The Textile Workers Organizing Committee (TWOC-CIO) founded by former ACWA president Sidney Hillman organized the Textile Workers’ Union of America (TWUA) to compete with the UTWA. 1976 Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU) was founded by the merging of ACWA and TWUA in 1976. 1944-1955 The United Garment Workers of America (UGWA) and the United Textile Workers of America (UTWA) in 1995 merged with the UFCW. 1955 Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE) formed by the merger of International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU) and the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU). 2004 Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE) and Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees (HERE) form single entity UNITE-HERE. 2009 UNITE-HERE splits into original camps with HERE maintaining control of UNITE-HERE and UNITE becoming an affiliate of SEIU as WORKERS UNITED. Learn more about the Union Co-op history and our union labels.
Tagged with United Garment Workers of America
United Garment Workers of America – Vintage-Haberdashers Blog Union tags can be helpful in dating vintage clothes. The United Garment Workers of America tag, however, remained virtually unchanged from its first usage in 1891 until its last in 1994. The most notable change occurred c.1930, when the manufacturer number relocated from the side to the center of the label. The first two label variants date from the first decade of the 20th century. The second two are representative of what was used 1930s-1990s. Depending on what was the tag was on, there could be different background text. Pictured is “clothing- clothing”. Other examples of background text would be “Duck Goods” or “Special Order”.
Our History | Workers United
Our History The Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America formed in 1914 because of the revolt of the urban locals against the conservative AFL affiliate, the United Garment Workers. The roots of this conflict date back to the general strike of Chicago, when a spontaneous strike by a few women workers led to a citywide strike of 45,000 garment workers in 1910. That strike pitted the strikers against not only their employers and the local authorities, but also their own union. The Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA) was a labor union known for its support for “social unionism” and progressive political causes. Led by Sidney Hillman for its first 30 years, it helped found the Congress of Industrial Organizations. ACWA merged with the Textile Workers Union of America in 1976 to form the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU). The International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU) was once one of the largest labor unions in the United States, one of the first U.S. unions to have a primarily female membership, and was a key player in the labor history of the 1920s and 1930s. The union became more involved in electoral politics, in part as a result of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire on March 25, 1911, in which 146 shirtwaist makers (most of them young immigrant women) either died in the fire that broke out on the eighth floor of the factory, or jumped to their deaths. Many of these workers were unable to escape because the doors on their floors had been locked to prevent them from stealing or taking unauthorized breaks. More than 100,000 people participated in the funeral march for the victims. The Union of Needle trades, Industrial, and Textile Employees (UNITE!) was a labor union in the United States, formed in 1995 as a merger between the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU) and the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU).
United Garment Workers of America Notebook
United Garment Workers of America Notebook United Garment Workers of America Notebook Previous Next Description With the invention of celluloid in 1870, many merchants now had a cheap, durable, and moldable plastic with which to produce complimentary advertising items. This notebook has a celluloid cover that bears an image of a man in a brown suit and hat standing before a trolley line. The man is holding his coat open to show the label for the United Garment Workers of America (UGWA). The reverse side has a warning not to accept clothing in which the label has been sewn in by the dealer, and lists four goals of the UGWA—fair pay, shorter hours, sanitary shops, and reliable clothing. The notebook contains a diary written in ink with pages indicating members of the UGWA, a calendar for 1907, and miscellaneous information such as interest tables. The notebook is meant to encourage consumers to “insist on clothing bearing the UGWA label” and not to “buy inferior, unclean, sweatshop clothing.” Object Name Notebook with Celluloid Cover date made 1908 advertiser United Garment Workers of America maker Bastian Brothers Company United Garment Workers of America place made United States: New York, Rochester Physical Description cellulose nitrate (overall material) paper (overall material) Measurements overall: 2 1/2 in x 5 in; 6.35 cm x 12.7 cm ID Number 2006.0098.1351 catalog number 2006.0098.1351 accession number 2006.0098 Credit Line Dadie and Norman B. Perlov subject Science See more items in Medicine and Science: Chemistry Work American Enterprise Exhibition American Enterprise Exhibition Location National Museum of American History Data Source National Museum of American History Nominate this object for photography. Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions. Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum’s collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.
How Union Labels Help to Date Your Vintage Clothing
How Union Labels Help to Date Your Vintage Clothing Understanding how to date vintage clothing is like putting together the pieces of a giant (but gorgeous!) puzzle. This article will help you understand how a union label’s design speaks to the authentic age of your vintage garment or accessory. Most vintage lovers would recognize the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU) label, found in women’s vintage clothing from as early as the 1920s. But there are more union labels to be found in vintage clothing than just that of the ILGWU. There are labels for millinery (hat) unions, men’s clothing unions and other unions which made women’s clothing and suiting during the 20th century. These were the unions that helped to not only influence the history of American fashion, but the legalization of fair working conditions for the hundreds of thousands of individuals who worked these factory jobs. Keep reading after the jump to learn more about seven American unions and how to use their label design to help date your vintage garment! This is not a complete guide to every single union label known to clothing and textile production — but it does cover the largest unions and therefore, the labels you’re most likely to see when examining the interior of your vintage garments. Visit my article for 13 tips on dating vintage clothing labels! Do you have a vintage union label that you need help identifying? I’d love to see it and figure out its origin and era! Send me an email or leave a comment below the post for help dating your vintage clothing, or by saying hello on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or by subscribing to my newsletter! xx, SD UNION LABELS FOR HATS Source: (left) 4u2own21 on Ebay (right) New York Wanderer WHEN USED: 1885 to 1934 LOOK FOR … a union label by The United Hatters of North America (UHNA). The label was trademarked in 1915 but was first used in 1885. WHEN USED: 1934-1983 LOOK FOR … “United Hatters Cap & Millinery Wrks” on top of a globe and handshake design with “Int Union” below. The key difference between this label and older versions is a production number (“785641”) and IN U.S.A. with a small “6” next to what looks like a squished globe. UNION LABELS NRA BLUE EAGLE Source: Jean JeanVintage and on Etsy WHEN USED: 1933 to 1935 LOOK FOR … The National Recovery Administration (NRA) symbol of a navy blue eagle anywhere on your union label. The label’s overall design differed based on whether it was a jacket, hat, handbag (shown above) or piece of lingerie. BACKGROUND: A garment with a blue eagle on its union label means it was produced under the safe and fair working conditions of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s National Recovery Administration, developed during the Great Depression to create more jobs by forming unions. Here’s a promotional video from 1933 about the NRA, thanks to Jean Jean Vintage. UNION LABELS CONSUMER’S PROTECTION LABEL on HATS WHEN USED: 1938 to 1950s LOOK FOR … a blue & white label with the words “Fair Labor Standards” and “Consumers’ Protection Label” on a vintage hat. BACKGROUND: After US Congress declared FDR’s NRA law unconstitutional as part of his New Deal program in 1935, labeling changed to reflect rebranding after the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed in 1938. The name changed, but the idea renamed the same: All pieces with the Consumer’s Protection Label were made under fair working conditions (workers paid at least minimum wage, time and half for overtime and no employment of minors in oppressive work environments). UNION LABELS NATIONAL RECOVERY BOARD for COATS & SUITS WHEN USED: 1938 to 1964 LOOK FOR … a scalloped circle which says “COAT AND SUIT INDUSTRY” with “NATIONAL RECOVERY BOARD” encircled around. Flip the label over (shown above), and you’ll find the words “Consumers’ Protection Label.” Hint: I found this specific label on a 1940s coat along the bottom side seam. BACKGROUND: The National Labor Relation’s Act encouraged growth in stateside unions to create more jobs during the economic crisis of the ’30s. The Coat & Suit Industry union was born out of FDR’s New Deal Coalition. UNION LABELS NEW YORK CREATION DRESS INSTITUTE Source: nowandthenstyle…
The Union Label and the Needle Trades – Gale
The Union Label and the Needle Trades This collection consists of two full series and one partial series from the Records of the United Garment Workers of America—Series I: Time and Motion Studies; Series III: Office Files, 1899-1994—Meeting Minutes of the General Executive Board subseries; and, Series VIII: Index Card Files for plants and/or locals in. The Time and Motion Studies are made up of time study/ time and motion research files for the garment industry, as well as files relating to industry research and information from the first half of the twentieth century. The minutes from the early period cover issues such as immigration, sick benefits, and nine-hour work days; those from the 1950s are concerned partly with the trial and ultimate dismissal of Board member Joseph Crispino; and those from the latter period contain issues such as the financial struggles and the loss of membership. The overwhelming majority of the Series VIII index card files comprise information on various plants and union locals. These are in alphabetical order by city (with a few exceptions) and contain information about the locals, manufacturers, wages, garments, and efforts to organize locals in those cities.
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America | American union
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America | American unionLearn about this topic in these articles:Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union In Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union…by the merger of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA), a large union representing workers in the men’s clothing industry, with the Textile Workers Union of America, a smaller union founded in 1939. The ACWA was originally formed when militant elements within the United Garment Workers, a relatively conservative…Read Moreclothing industry In clothing and footwear industry: Social aspects…organized in 1900, and the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, formed in 1914, became pioneer unions in mass-production industries in the United States as well as the largest garment unions in the world.Read Morerole of Bellanca In Dorothy Jacobs Bellanca…unionism, left to form the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA). Jacobs led her local into the ACWA, serving as a delegate to the organizing convention, becoming a member of the Baltimore joint board, and in 1915 becoming the board’s secretary. She was active in organizing campaigns in Chicago in…Read More