The International Jewelry Workers' Union (IJWU) 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 involved in making jewelry in the United States and Canada. An International Jewelry Workers' Union of America was founded in 1900 with the merger of several local unions, and it 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) on September 17, 1900. In 1903, it absorbed the International Watch Case Makers' Union, but its membership steadily declined, and it disbanded in 1913. Some of its locals survived, directly affiliated to the AFL, and on September 28, 1916, they merged to form the new IJWU, with a new AFL charter. In 1918, the union absorbed diamond setters from the Diamond Workers' Protective Union. The

International Association of Machinists The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is an AFL–CIO/ CLC trade union representing approx. 646,933 workers as of 2006 in more than 200 industries with most of its membership in the United States and Canada. Or ...

argued that it should represent jewelry tool and die makers, a dispute eventually settled. However, in a dispute with the Metal Polishers' International Union over the representation of jewelry polishers and buffers, the AFL found against the IJWU, which refused to transfer these members. As a result, in 1920, it was suspended from the AFL. This prompted the union to make concessions, and in 1922 it was readmitted. By 1925, the union had about 800 members, growing to 16,000 by 1953. In 1955, it 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 ...

, and it absorbed the Diamond Workers' Protective Union, taking membership to 32,000 by 1957. By 1980, the union's membership had fallen to 9,500,{{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 and on August 20, 1980, it merged into the Service Employees' International Union.

Presidents

:1916: Julius Birnbaum :Leon Williams :Jack Coleman :Joseph Morris :1959: Harry Spodick :1968: Leon Sverdlove

References

Manufacturing trade unions Trade unions established in 1916 Trade unions disestablished in 1980