Insurance Workers' International Union Explained

The Insurance Workers' International Union (IWIU) was a labor union representing workers in the insurance industry in the United States and Canada.

History

The union was established on May 18, 1959, when the Insurance Agents' International Union merged with the Insurance Workers of America. Like both its predecessors, it was chartered by the AFL-CIO.^[1] On formation, it had 22,650 members.^[2]

In 1966, the union hired an organizer to study the unionization of white collar workers.^[3] By 1980, its membership had fallen slightly, to 20,000.^[4] On October 1, 1983, the union merged into the United Food and Commercial Workers, to promote the broader organization of clerical workers in the industry.

Presidents

1959: George L. Russ

1963: George A. Rollins

1965: William Gillen

1976: Joseph Pollack

Notes and References

1. Web site: Inactive Organizations . UMD Labor Collections . University of Maryland . 18 April 2022.
2. Book: Directory of National Unions and Employee Associations . 1959 . United States Department of Labor . Washington DC.
3. Book: Cornfield . Daniel . Workers, Managers, and Technological Change . 2013 . Springer . 9781461318217 . 128.
4. Book: Directory of National Unions and Employee Associations . 1980 . United States Department of Labor . Washington DC . 3 May 2022.