The Tile, Marble, Terrazzo, Finishers', Shopworkers' and Granite Cutters' International Union (TMT) 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 construction workers who used marble and similar decorative materials, in the United States and Canada.

History

The union was founded in 1901 as the International Association of Marble Workers in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

. On January 11, 1902, 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 ...

. By 1925, it had 4,500 members, and had expanded its jurisdiction beyond marble workers, to include tile, marble and

terazzo Terrazzo is a composite material, poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of chips of marble, quartz, granite, glass, or other suitable material, poured with a cementitious binder (for chemical bindi ...

setters' helpers, against the opposition of the

International Hod Carriers' and Building Laborers' Union The Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA, stylized as LiUNA!), often shortened to just the Laborers' Union, is an American and Canadian labor union formed in 1903. As of 2017, they had about 500,000 members, about 80,000 of whom ...

. The union's name was gradually lengthened, until in 1931, it became the International Association of Marble, Slate and Stone Polishers, Rubbers and Sawyers, Tile and Marble Setters' Helpers and Terrazzo Helpers. Under this name, it affiliated to the new AFL-CIO in 1955, and by 1957, it had 8,200 members. In 1976, the union became the Tile, Marble, Terrazzo, Finishers and Shopmen International Union, and in 1980, it absorbed the

Granite Cutters' International Association of America The Granite Cutters' International Association of America was a trade union representing granite cutters in the United States and Canada. History The union was founded in March 1877 near Rockland, Maine, USA. Its official publication was the Grani ...

. It adopted its final name, and its membership reached 9,300.{{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 On November 11, 1988, it merged into the

United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, often simply the United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC), was formed in 1881 by Peter J. McGuire and Gustav Luebkert. It has become one of the largest trade unions in the United State ...

Presidents

:William J. Grant :1910s: Stephen C. Hogan :1920s: James McGrane :1920s: William McCarthy :c.1960: William Peitler :c.1970: Wylie Lawhead :1975: Pascal Di James

References

Building and construction trade unions Trade unions established in 1901 Trade unions disestablished in 1988