Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees
Encyclopedia
The Union of Needle trades, Industrial, and Textile Employees (UNITE) was a labor union
in the United States, formed in 1995 as a merger between the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
(ILGWU) and the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU). In 2004, UNITE announced that it would merge with the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union
(HERE) to form UNITE HERE
.
UNITE's core industries were textile
and apparel manufacturing, distribution, and retailing, but they also had locals involved in industrial laundry
, and manufacturing in other industries.
Jay Mazur served as president of UNITE from its inception until his retirement in 2001. Bruce Raynor was then elected president, where he served until the HERE merger.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
in the United States, formed in 1995 as a merger between the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
The International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union was once one of the largest labor unions in the United States, one of the first U.S. unions to have a primarily female membership, and a key player in the labor history of the 1920s and 1930s...
(ILGWU) and the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU). In 2004, UNITE announced that it would merge with the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union
Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union
The Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union , was a United States labor union representing workers of the hospitality industry, formed in 1891. In 2004, HERE merged with the Union of Needletrades, Industrial, and Textile Employees to form UNITE HERE. HERE notably organized the staff of Yale...
(HERE) to form UNITE HERE
UNITE HERE
UNITE HERE is a labor union in the United States and Canada with more than 265,000 active members The union's members work predominantly in the hotel, food service, laundry, warehouse, and casino gaming industries...
.
UNITE's core industries were textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
and apparel manufacturing, distribution, and retailing, but they also had locals involved in industrial laundry
Laundry
Laundry is a noun that refers to the act of washing clothing and linens, the place where that washing is done, and/or that which needs to be, is being, or has been laundered...
, and manufacturing in other industries.
Jay Mazur served as president of UNITE from its inception until his retirement in 2001. Bruce Raynor was then elected president, where he served until the HERE merger.