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The United Garment Workers of America (UGW or UGWA) was a
Later UGW strikes included one in February, 1913, in
UGW papers at the Georgia State University Library
{{Authority control 1891 establishments in New York (state) American Federation of Labor History of labor relations in the United States Defunct trade unions in the United States Clothing industry trade unions Trade unions established in 1891 United Food and Commercial Workers
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
labor union which existed between 1891 and 1994. It was an affiliate of 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 ...
.
History
The UGWA was formed in New York in April 1891 and lead a successful strike of 16,000 garment workers in New York City in 1893, but soon adopted a more conservative, conciliatory tone with manufacturers. Thomas A. Rickert of Chicago served as UGW's president from 1904 through at least 1939. At the UGW's 1914 convention in Nashville, Tennessee, a number of large urban locals, with stronger Socialist loyalties and more willingness to strike, and who represented a full two-thirds of the national membership, split off to form the rival Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America under Hillman's founding leadership. In 1994, the UGW's 15,000 members merged into the United Food and Commercial Workers.Strikes
The union came to national attention with the1910 Chicago Garment Workers' Strike
The 1910 Chicago garment workers' strike, also known as the Hart, Schaffner and Marx (HSM) strike, was a labor strike established and led by women in which diverse workers in the garment industry showed their capability to unify across ethnic bou ...
, which had started as a spontaneous strike on September 22, by a handful of women workers at Hart Schaffner & Marx
Hart Schaffner Marx is an American manufacturer of tailored menswear owned by New York-based Authentic Brands Group. Founded in 1887 and incorporated in 1911 as "Hart Schaffner & Marx", the company is located in Des Plaines, Illinois.
History
T ...
. It spread to a citywide labor action of almost 40,000 workers that lasted until February 1911. Chicago was then the largest producer of men's garments in the United States, Hart Schaffner & Marx the largest of Chicago manufacturers, and UGW the only union in the industry.
The strike was a bitter one, with hundreds of strikers injured and two killed. Future union president Sidney Hillman was a rank-and-file leader, and lawyer Clarence Darrow was involved with the settlement negotiations. The action not only pitted workers against management and against Chicago police on horseback, it also exposed divisions in the union—namely that the organization did not support its unskilled members. Similar allegations dogged the UGA's mishandling of the 1913 New York Garment Workers Strike, a nine-week walkout of some 85,000 workers.
Later UGW strikes included one in February, 1913, in Rochester, New York
Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...
, where striker Ida Braiman
Ida Braiman (died February 5, 1913) (sometimes spelled Brayman, Breiman, or Braeman) was a Ukrainian Jewish garment worker killed while on strike for better working conditions in Rochester, New York. Her death brought statewide attention to the ...
was killed and others wounded by gunfire. During a subsequent strike in Chicago in October 1915, striker Edward Kapper was killed in a riot on October 26, and 10-year-old bystander Leo Schroeder was crushed by a mob on the 29th.
References
External links
UGW papers at the Georgia State University Library
{{Authority control 1891 establishments in New York (state) American Federation of Labor History of labor relations in the United States Defunct trade unions in the United States Clothing industry trade unions Trade unions established in 1891 United Food and Commercial Workers