The United Shoe and Leather Workers' Union (USLWU) 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 (s ...

representing shoe and bootmakers in the United States. The union was founded in 1933, when the

Shoe Workers' Protective Union The Shoe Workers' Protective Union (SWPU) was a trade union representing workers involved in making footwear in the United States. The union was founded in 1899, when the Boot and Shoe Workers' Union's Haverhill, Massachusetts branch split away. ...

(SWPU) merged with the National Shoe Workers' Association, the Shoe and Leather Workers' Industrial Union, and some local unions. However, a substantial minority of the SWPU objected to the merger and continued under the SWPU name. The union was led by the Lovestoneite Israel Zimmerman. The main opposition force was aligned with the

Communist Party USA The Communist Party USA, officially the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA), is a communist party in the United States which was established in 1919 after a split in the Socialist Party of America following the Russian Rev ...

, which unsuccessfully tried to have the union's whole executive recalled at the 1934 convention. However, in 1937, the Lovestoneites were defeated when, inspired by the formation of 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 ...

, the USLWU merged with the St Louis branch of the SWPU, and some other local unions, to form the

United Shoe Workers of America The United Shoe Workers of America (USWA) was a trade union representing workers involved in making shoes and other leather goods. History The union was founded in 1937, when the United Shoe and Leather Workers' Union merged with the Shoe Workers ...

.{{cite news, title=C. I. O. Acts to Absorb Shoe Workers Union, work=New York Times, date=March 4, 1937, via=ProQuest, page=11

References

Defunct trade unions in the United States Footwear industry trade unions Trade unions established in 1933 Trade unions disestablished in 1937