The Coopers' International Union of North America (CIUNA) 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

cooper Cooper, Cooper's, Coopers and similar may refer to: * Cooper (profession), a maker of wooden casks and other staved vessels Arts and entertainment * Cooper (producers), alias of Dutch producers Klubbheads * Cooper (video game character), in ...

s in the United States and Canada. The origins of the union lay in the Coopers of North America union, founded in 1870. It was a founding affiliate of the

Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions of the United States and Canada (FOTLU) was a federation of labor unions created on November 15, 1881, at Turner Hall in Pittsburgh. It changed its name to the American Federation of Labor (AF ...

in 1880, and in 1888 was chartered 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 ...

(AFL). Later in the year, it ceased to operate as a national union, and surrendered its charter. However, about ten of its

local union A local union (often shortened to local), in North America, or union branch (known as a lodge in some unions), in the United Kingdom and other countries, is a local branch (or chapter) of a usually national trade union. The terms used for sub-bran ...

s survived, and on November 10, 1890, they formed the CIUNA at a meeting in

Titusville, Pennsylvania Titusville is a city in the far eastern corner of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,601 at the 2010 census and an estimated 5,158 in 2019. Titusville is known as the birthplace of the American oil industry and for ...

. The new union was chartered by the AFL on October 3, 1891. It had a long-standing dispute with the

United Brewery Workmen The International Union of United Brewery, Flour, Cereal, Soft Drink and Distillery Workers was a trade union, labor union in the United States. The union merged with the Teamsters in 1973. Early history The union was founded in 1886 as the Nat ...

, which led to many coopers instead being represented by that union.

Prohibition in the United States In the United States from 1920 to 1933, a Constitution of the United States, nationwide constitutional law prohibition, prohibited the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The alcohol industry was curtai ...

further reduced the membership of the union, and by 1925, it had only 1,215 members. By 1953, membership had recovered to 5,000. The union was affiliated to the new

AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 12 million ac ...

from 1955. By 1980, membership had fallen to a new low, of 1,056.{{cite book , title=Directory of National Unions and Employee Associations , date=1980 , publisher=United States Department of Labor , location=Washington, D.C. , url=https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/files/docs/publications/bls/bls_2079_1980.pdf , access-date=3 May 2022 On September 1, 1992, the union merged into the

Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers International Union The Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers International Union (GMPIU) was a labor union representing craft and industrial workers primarily in the ceramics, china, craft metals, fiberglass, glass, insulation, and pottery industries ...

Presidents

:1890: Michael McGowan :1891: D. Harnahan :1894: George Marthaler :1894: A. G. Newbergh :1895: Charles W. Teney :1896: J. L. McFadden :1897: George Boyle :1898: Charles W. Teney :1900: Joseph Hammer :1902: Patrick J. Donnelly :1903: Andrew C. Hughes :1905: Maurice O'Donnell :1909: Andrew C. Hughes :1922: Joseph Creese :1923: J. P. Maurer :1925: James J. Doyle :1965: Ernest D. Higdon

References

Coopers' trade unions Trade unions established in 1890 Trade unions disestablished in 1992