The United Glass and Ceramics Workers of North America (UGCWNA) 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 several related industries in the United States and Canada. The union 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 August 7, 1934, as the Federation of Flat Glass Workers of America. It aligned with the

Congress of Industrial Organizations The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) was a federation of unions that organized workers in industrial unions in the United States and Canada from 1935 to 1955. Originally created in 1935 as a committee within the American Federation of ...

(CIO), and as a result, was suspended from the AFL in 1936, and expelled in 1938. Its scope was broadened, and in 1940, it was renamed as the Federation of Glass, Ceramic and Silica Sand Workers of America. In 1955, the union adopted its final name. Later in the year, 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 ...

. By 1957, it had 53,000 members, but this fell to 34,539 by 1980.{{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, 1982, it merged into the Aluminum, Brick and Clay Workers' International Union, which renamed itself as the Aluminum, Brick and Glass Workers' International Union.

Presidents

:1934: Glen W. McCabe :1937: Paul W. Fuller :1939: Joseph Froesch :1950: Burl Phares :1957: Ralph Reiser :1973: Joseph Roman

References

Trade unions established in 1934 Trade unions disestablished in 1982 Ceramics and pottery trade unions Glass trade unions