The United Textile Workers of America (UTW) was a North American trade union established in 1901.

History

The United Textile Workers of America was founded following two conferences in 1901 under the aegis of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) as an amalgamation of several smaller craft unions. AFL first vice president James Duncan (union leader), James Duncan presided over a two day initial conference held at Boston's Quincy House (Boston), Quincy House Hotel in May before a larger conference finalized the organization in November. The union's most important early leader was John Golden (trade unionist), John Golden, a Lancashire-born spinner from Fall River, Massachusetts. Golden was elected as the union's second president in 1902 and re-elected at each subsequent convention until his death in 1921. At the time of his election, UTW's membership was just 10,600 spread out among 185 local unions. During that time, UTW engaged in intense competition with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) for the allegiance of textile workers across the northeastern United States. Generally opposed to strikes as a means of solving industrial disputes, the UTW frequently collaborated with company officials and sent union members to act as strikebreakers to IWW-led strikes, including the 1907 Skowhegan textile strike, the 1912 Lawrence textile strike, and the 1913 Paterson silk strike. As such, it had limited success prior to the 1930s, and the union claimed about 350,000 members at the time of a Textile workers' strike (1934), general textile strike in 1934. A year later in 1935, it became a founding member of the Committee for Industrial Organizations, whose Textile Workers Organizing Committee established the basis for a new union, the Textile Workers Union of America, founded in 1939. A diminished UTW continued separately after 1939 and, in 1996, merged with the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.

Publications

From its founding in 1901 until 1912, UTW used the privately-published ''The Laborer and Journeyman'' as its official organ. In 1912, ''The Textile Worker'' was founded and published by the union itself with secretary-treasurer Albert Hibbert as its editor. In September 1915, John Golden took over as editor on top of his other duties as president. He was replaced in both roles following his death by Thomas F. McMahon.

Leadership

Presidents

:1901: James Tansey :1902: John Golden (trade unionist), John Golden :1921: Thomas F. McMahon :1937: Frank Gorman :1939: C. M. Fox :1941: Frank Gorman :1944: Anthony Valente :1958: George Baldanzi :1972: Francis Schaufenbil :1986: Vernon Mustard :1991: Ron Myslowka

Other leaders

* Sara Agnes Mclaughlin Conboy, secretary-treasurer

References

1901 establishments in the United States 1939 disestablishments in the United States American Federation of Labor Textile and clothing trade unions Defunct trade unions in the United States United Textile Workers of America,

External links

PBS
''The Uprising of '34'' {{trade-union-stub