Danish, Max D. Collected Documents., 1946-1964
Collection Number: 6036/013

Founded in 1900 by local union delegates representing about 2,000 members in cities in the northeastern United States, the ILGWU grew in geographical scope, membership size, political influence to become one of the most powerful forces in American organized labor by mid-century. Representing workers in the women's garment industry, the ILGWU worked to improve working and living conditions of its members through collective bargaining agreements, training programs, health care facilities, cooperative housing, educational opportunities, and other efforts. In 1995, the ILGWU merged with the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU) to form the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE).

Max D. Danish, born in 1887 in Vitebsk, Russia, immigrated to the United States at the age of 14 and began work in the garment industry. He was involved with the early struggles and strikes of the union, and provided publicity for the union during the Cloakmakers' strike in 1910. Danish worked on a daily newspaper in Connecticut and went to New York University to study journalism and received a law degree. In 1914, he became the managing editor of the official ILGWU publication, the "Ladies' Garment Worker," and director of press relations. When the ILGWU publication became "Justice" in 1919, Danish took over as editor, helming the publication until his retirement in 1951. Danish also served the union as director of publicity and attempted to change the impression of union news, creating a paper that had more general interest. Through his positions with publicity and publications for the union, Danish strived to change the attitude of the press toward union news. Danish wrote the biographies "William Green: A Pictorial Biography" and "The World of David Dubinsky." With close to four decades of service to the ILGWU, Danish was a reporter, editor, public relations expert and historian. He died on January 11, 1964 at the age of 77.

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Danish, Max D. Collected Documents. #6036/013. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.

Related Collections: 5780: ILGWU records 5780/070: ILGWU. Ladies' Garment Worker 5780/051 mf: ILGWU. Justice. Microfilm.