The Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, the most significant union representing workers in the men's clothing industry, was founded in New York City in 1914 as a breakaway movement from the United Garment Workers. Radical and immigrant workers in the tailors’ and cutters’ locals were the core of the seceding group, which advocated industrial unionism and economic strikes in opposition to the UGW’s craft organization, which they saw as conservative and timid. Their diverging views had come to the fore during the historic 1910 dispute at the Chicago firm Hart, Schaffner, and Marx. The opposition called the strike against the UGW leadership’s advice, and reached a path-breaking agreement with management that established an arbitration system to settle disputes.
Members flocked to the new union. Around 50,000 strong at its founding, by 1920 the ACWA counted about 170,000 members. Initially composed mostly of immigrants of Jewish European descent with Socialist leanings, the ACWA quickly welcomed members of a great number of nationalities and diverse backgrounds. Like in other garment unions, most workers and many members were women, but the leadership was predominantly male, a situation that did not change for many decades. Early on the union adopted a centralized administrative structure combined with industrial unionism, with the joint boards’ by-laws having precedence over those of locals.
Espousing a philosophy perhaps brought over by its early immigrant socialist members, the Amalgamated went beyond bread and butter issues and adopted a distinctive form of social unionism that was largely absent in the American labor movement. Starting in the 1920s, it provided educational opportunities and recreational facilities for its members, as well as services such as an insurance plan, banks offering personal loans at low interest rates, low-cost housing cooperatives, medical clinics, and even union-owned restaurants.
Sidney Hillman was the first president of the new union and the most important officer in its history. He applied his experience as bargaining representative in Chicago to the whole industry. Under his leadership the union made significant strides in securing better wages and working conditions for its members, and at the same time it consolidated gains and provided stability to the industry through the widespread adoption of the arbitration system tested at Hart, Schaffner, and Marx. Hillman paid close attention to industry issues, such as production, pricing, and marketing. In order to help management meet the competition of non-union firms, the union conducted studies of efficiency, work methods, and factory costs. Letters to the official publication of the union, Advance, document the controversy that ensued within the union over what was perceived to be collaboration with management.
Hillman also understood the importance of labor’s involvement in national affairs and political action. In the 1920s the ACWA sent delegates to the Conference for Progressive Political Action and to the Farmer-labor party conventions. Although many members and officers were Socialists, the union stopped short of officially endorsing the party. Communist attempts at gaining influence within the union were firmly curbed. Hillman’s participation in national affairs and politics became prominent during the New Deal, when he became a close advisor to Franklin D. Roosevelt on labor and economic issues. He also served on the board of the National Recovery Administration. Later, during World War II, he helped establish the Labor’s Non Partisan League. He was also named associate director of the Office of Production Management, which assisted in mobilizing the nation's resources for the war effort. Hillman’s prestige perhaps reflected the healthy condition of his union, which by the end of the conflict was strong and stable.
During the post World War II period the union faced a number of significant challenges. Membership continued to grow (peaking at 395,000 in 1968), but the union’s political influence and visibility in national affairs declined. In their never ending pursuit of lower production costs, many firms relocated to the South, forcing the union to engage in large organizing efforts. Simultaneously, signs began to appear of changes that would lead to the almost complete demise of the domestic apparel industry and, ultimately, to the erosion of union membership. Foreign imports of cheap clothing goods steadily grew in the 1950s and 1960s, and mushroomed in the following two decades, plunging employment in the apparel sector into a steady decline. Union efforts to stem the tide included Buy American campaigns and extensive lobbying in Congress, but they were to no avail. In 1976, the ACWA merged with the Textile Workers of America to become the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union. Despite successful and much publicized nationwide actions such as the Farah boycott and the J.P. Stevens corporate campaign, the woes threatening the union’s existence continued unabated. The fate of the domestic industry was sealed in the late 1970s and the 1980s by the flight of firms chasing tax breaks and cheap labor abroad. By 1995, when ACTWU voted to merge with the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, their combined membership was 350,000. The new Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE!) seemed poised to infuse new life in a troubled union.
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Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union. Legal Dept. Files, #5619/017. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
Related collections:
All other 5619 collections
and 6000/019: UNITE's Department of Occupational Safety and Health Records
Jan-Feb. 1966
April 1965
September-December 1965
May-August 1965
January-March 1965
November 1964-1965
March-April 1966
November 18, 1964
1/10/73-12/18/74
10/1973
March 1974
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July 1972
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9/25/1973
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March 26, 1964
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October 26, 1965
6/6/1966 Volume I Pages 1-160
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6/8/1966 Volume III Pages 411-627
6/14/66 Volume VII Pages 1034-1189
6/17/1966 Volume X Pages 1525-1680
6/22/1966 Volume XIII 2380-2590
6/23/1966 Volume XIV Pages 2591-2789
7/11/1966 Volume XVI Pages 2947-3148
7/12/1966 Volume XVII Pages 3149-3304a
7/13/1966 Volume XVIII Pages 3305-3322
7/14/1966 Volume XIX Pages 3323-3504
7/15/1966 Volume XX Pages 3305-3537
8/3/1966 Volume XXI Pages 3538-3699
8/4/1966 Volume XXII Pages 3700-3794
8/5/1966 Pages 4264-4484
8/8/1966 Volume XXIV Pages 3964-4263
8/9/1966 Volume XXVI Pages 4485-4662
8/10/1966 Volume XXVI Pages 4663-4802
8/11/1966 Volume XXVI Pages 4663-4802
8/12/1966 Volume XXVII Pages 4803-4952
9/6/1966 Volume XXIX Pages 4953-5130
9/8/1966 Volume XXXI Pages 5304-5489
9/13/1966 Volume XXXIV Pages 5701-5846
9/14/1966 Volume XXXV Pages 5848-5941
9/21/1966 Volume XXXVI Pages 5942-6090
9/22/1966 Volume XXXVII Pages 6091-6226
9/23/1966 Volume XXXVIII Pages 6227-6351
9/26/1966 Volume XXXIX Pages 6352-6488
9/27/1966 Volume XXXX Pages 6489-6623
9/28/1966 Volume XXXXI Pages 6624-6777
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2/6/1967 Volume XLIII Pages 6831-7039
2/7/1967 Volume 44 Pages 7040-7195
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5/1/1978
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Tuesday, August 9, 1977
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1951-Sept. 1976 Volume I
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6/19/1981
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Monday, June 8, 1981 Pages 1-203
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July 14, 1981 Pages 366-518
July 15, 1981 Pages 519-743
July 16, 1981 Pages 744-947
Tuesday, July 28, 1981 Pages 948-1132
Wednesday, July 29, 1981 Pages 1133-1332
Thursday, July 30, 1981 Pages 1333-1569
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August 4, 1981 Pages 1664-1885
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Pg.1-5. 3/30/1992
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Pg.6261-6368. 10/30/1992
P.6369-6498. 11/16/1992
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P.6687-6944. 11/17/1992
P.6945-7121. 11/18/1992
P.7122-7297. 11/18/1992
P.7298-7532. 11/19/1992
p.7533-7688. 12/1/1992
P.768-7749. 12/2/1992
P.7750-7839. 1/25/1993
Pages 1-186. 6/15/1992
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7/22/1987
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8/25/1987
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1-9-1975
Sept.-Dec. 1983
August 1983
Volume 6
Merger of the Catawba Valley and Wester North Carolina Joint Boards and ballot returns.
Resolution for removal of administration and the discharge of administrator duties. Ballot returns are included.
Testimonies, correspondence, and resolution drafts. Includes ballot returns.
Memorandums, resolutions, message copies, and miscellaneous documents.
Report and distribution list.
Resolutions and ballot returns for both the termination and the merger.
Status reports and memorandums for January 13 to 16, 1986.
General Executive Board Meeting from March 17th to the 20th.
General Executive Board Meeting from July 14th to the 17th.
General Executive Board Meeting from October 28th to the 30th.
Resolution to establish administration and memorandum.
Resolutions, correspondence, and status reports. General Executive Board Meeting from September 14th to the 16th.
January 19th to the 23rd. Concerning the termination of the administratorship of the Texas Joint Board and Glove Cities Areas Joint Board, hearing on the continuation of the South Jersey joint board, charges against Nicholas DiPiero, and status reports on administratorhips.
May 18th to the 21st. Concerning the termination of the Philadelphia Joint Board, officer's hearings, and status reports.
February 22nd to the 26th. Memorandums, status reports, and interim actions.
July 29th to the 30th. Hearing officers' report concerning Catawba Valley Joint Board and the continuation of the administratorship of Capmakers Local 4H, and status reports.
March 9th and 10th. Concerning the terminations of the administratorship of the Rochester Joint Board and the appeal of officers from the Northern North Carolina Joint Board, Eden, and North Carolina. Includes status reports.
October 29th to November 1st. Concerning the administratorship of the Texas Joint Board and the Capmaker's Union, Local 4H. Includes status reports and memorandums.
May 2nd to the 4th. Concerning administratorship.
November 29th to the 30th. Concerning the termination of administratorship and an election complaint. Includes agendas and status reports.
January 30th to February 3rd. Requests to submit additions to the agenda.
May 15th to the 19th. Request to submit additions to agenda.
September 5th to the 8th. Concerning the termination of the administratorship for Local 335 in Chicago, Illinois.
November 16th to the 18th. Concerning the Pennsylvania Joint Board and the Scranton and Wilkes Barre District Joint Board to hold Joint Boards semi-annually.
May 7th to the 9th. Hearing Officer's Report concerning Local 1374, Chicago Joint Board.
May 1966 thru May 1967