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Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, ACWA

As a breakaway movement from the United Garment Workers, the Amalgamated Textile Workers of America was founded in 1914. The catalyst was a bitter 1910 strike in Chicago, involving AFL United Garment Workers (UGW) and Hart Schaffner and Marx, their employer. The settlement negotiated by the UGW was not acceptable by many of the strikers and 45,000 garment workers city-wide walked off their jobs. By the 1914 UGW convention, 2/3 of the membership broke ties with the AFL’s UGW and formed the ACWA.

The ACWA grew rapidly under the leadership of Sidney Hillman, who was president for 30 years. By the 1920s, it became the predominant union manufacturing men’s clothing in the United States, operating in major textile-producing cities. The 1946 death of Hillman was a setback for the union, but it continued through the mid 1970s. The 1976 merger with the Textile Workers of America formed the the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union, and in 1995 another merger (this time with the ILGWU) lead to the creation of UNITE.

See also Union Labels

 

from the back pants pocket of a suit. The first issued ACWA label, dating from 1916.

Courtesy of galetime

1919 label

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1934 label. In 1933, ACWA merged with AFL and agreed to use UGWA labels. This didn't work out and ACWA issued their own new label in 1934.

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1935 label. In 1935, ACWA joined with ILGWU and six other unions to form the CIO and issued the 1935 ACWA label.

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1937 ACWA neckwear label

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1939 ACWA label

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from a military jacket. 1939 ACWA label for WWII military garments were sepia toned.

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1949 ACWA label with no registration (R in a circle), so pre 1962

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from a 1951 mens winter coat

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1949 AWCA label was registered (R in circle) in 1962

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from a men's late-1960s tweed Norfolk jacket (this label style was used from 1962 to 1976. They do vary within this period)

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from a 1970s shirt with attached care instructions

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from a 1970s shirt

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from a 1970s shirt. Note that there is no "union bug" on 1970s labels.

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from a late-1970s men's sport coat

Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage