Upholsterers International Union of North America explained

The Upholsterers International Union of North America (called the UIU or UIUNA) was a North American labor union of upholsterers. It was founded in 1882 when eight small met at a conference in Chicago and agreed to combine. It affiliated with the American Federation of Labor in 1900. In 1929, a convention voted to change the name to Upholsterers, Carpet and Linoleum Mechanics' International Union of North America but the other name remained in common use. Their official organ was the Upholsters' Journal; as of 1936, it was estimated that they had 11,500 members.^[1]

By 1977, the union (headquartered in Philadelphia) had a membership of 55,000, and was pursuing a policy of aggressively organizing in the Southern United States (where most furniture jobs had gone), in cooperation with other unions such as the United Furniture Workers of America and the International Woodworkers of America.^[2] In October 1985, the union voted to merge with the United Steelworkers.^[3]

Presidents

1892: Anton J. Engel^[4]

1907: James H. Hatch

1921: William Kohn

1931: James H. Hatch

1937: Sal B. Hoffman

Notes and References

1. Stewart, Estelle May. United States Bureau of Labor Statistics Handbook of American Trade-Unions: 1936 edition Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1936; pp. 159-160
2. "Unions Map Big Drive in South" Milwaukee Journal December 20, 1977; Accent section, p. 9, col. 6
3. "Union Merger Final" Dubuque Telegraph Herald October 13, 1985; p. 36, col. 1
4. Book: Notable Names in American History . 1973 . James T. White & Company . Clifton, New Jersey . 0883710021 . 559.