Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union explained

ACTWU
Founded:1976
Native Name Lang:ACTWU
Merged:International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
Merger:
Successor:Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees
Dissolved:1995
Location Country:United States of America

The Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU) was a labor union representing workers in two related industries in the United States.

The union was founded in 1976, when the Textile Workers Union of America merged with the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America. The small American Federation of Hosiery Workers also joined. On foundation, the new union had about 500,000 members. Like both its predecessors, it affiliated to the AFL–CIO.[1] [2] In 1979, the United Shoe Workers of America merged in, followed in 1983 by the United Hatters, Cap and Millinery Workers International Union.[3]

The union successfully campaigned to unionize workers at J.P. Stevens & Co. However, the industry was in sharp decline in the United States,[4] and by 1995, the union had only 129,000 members. That year, it merged with the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, to form the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees.[5]

Presidents

1976: Murray Finley

1986: Jack Sheinkman[6]

Notes and References

  1. News: Stetson . Pamon . 2 Apparel Unions Agree on Merger . New York Times . 20 March 1976.
  2. Web site: Inactive Organizations . UMD Labor Collections . University of Maryland . 18 April 2022.
  3. 21–27 . Adams . Larry T. . Labor organization mergers 1979-84: adapting to change . Monthly Labor Review . September 1984.
  4. Web site: ACTWU President's Office Murray Finley Correspondence on Microfiche . Cornell University Library . 20 April 2022.
  5. Book: Turner . Lowell . Katz . Harry Charles . Hurd . Richard . Rekindling the Movement . 2001 . ILR Press . 9780801487125.
  6. Web site: ACTWU President Jacob Sheinkman Files . Cornell University Library . Cornell University . 20 April 2022.