The Barbers, Beauticians and Allied Industries International Association (BBAIIA) was a

labor union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

representing workers in the personal grooming industry in the United States and Canada. The union was founded on December 5, 1887, as the Journeymen Barbers' International Union of America. Its original locals had previously formed part of the

Knights of Labor Knights of Labor (K of L), officially Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of Labor, was an American labor federation active in the late 19th century, especially the 1880s. It operated in the United States as well in Canada, and had chapters also ...

. In 1888, it was charted by the

American Federation of Labor The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was a national federation of labor unions in the United States that continues today as the AFL-CIO. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions eager to provide mutu ...

. In 1924, the union began admitting women, but its constitution explicitly barred people of East Asian ethnicity from joining. By 1925, it had 50,282 members and had headquarters in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

. In 1941, the union renamed itself as the Journeymen Barbers', Hairdressers' and Cosmetologists' International Union of America. It joined the new AFL-CIO in 1955, and was joined by the Barbers' and Beauty Culturists' Union of America in 1956. By 1957 it had 72,000 members, but this fell to 40,000 in 1980. That year, it merged into the

United Food and Commercial Workers The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) is a labor union representing approximately 1.3 million workers in the United States and Canada in industries including retail; meatpacking, food processing and manufacturing; hosp ...

.{{cite book , title=Directory of National Unions and Employee Associations , date=1980 , publisher=United States Department of Labor , location=Washington DC , url=https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/files/docs/publications/bls/bls_2079_1980.pdf , access-date=3 May 2022

Presidents

:1901: Frank X. Noschang :1922: James C. Shanessy :1936: William C. Birthright :1963: Joseph N. De Paola :1971: Richard A. Plumb

References

Hairdressers' trade unions Trade unions established in 1887 Trade unions disestablished in 1980