International Chemical Workers' Union

The International Chemical Workers' Union (ICWU) was a labor union representing workers in the chemical industry in the United States and Canada.

International Chemical Workers' Union
AbbreviationICWU
PredecessorInternational Council of Chemical and Allied Industries Union
Merged intoUnited Food and Commercial Workers
Formation1944 (1944)
DissolvedJuly 1, 1996 (1996-07-01)
TypeTrade union
Location
    • Canada
    • United States
AffiliationsAFL–CIO

History

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The union's origins lay in the Chemical Workers' Council, established by the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1937, bringing together local unions in the Mid West. In 1940, this was replaced by the International Council of Chemical and Allied Industries Union, led by H. A. Bradley and based in Akron, Ohio.[1] On September 11, 1944, the council was chartered by the AFL as the ICWU.[2] In 1955, the union transferred to the new AFL–CIO, and by 1957, it had 84,299 members.[3]

In 1968, the union joined the Alliance for Labor Action, which led to it being expelled from the AFL–CIO the following year,[1] though it was readmitted in 1971.[2] In 1975, some of its Canadian locals split away, to form the Canadian Chemical Workers' Union.[4] By 1980, the union's membership had fallen slightly, to 65,800.[5] On July 1, 1996, it merged into the United Food and Commercial Workers' International Union.[2]

Presidents

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1940: H. A. Bradley[1]
1954: Edward R. Moffett[1]
1956: Walter L. Mitchell[1]
1968: Thomas E. Boyle[1]
1975: Frank D. Martino[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "HISTORY OF THE I.C.W.U.C." ICWUC. UFCW. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Inactive Organizations" (PDF). UMD Labor Collections. University of Maryland. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  3. ^ Directory of National and International Labor Unions in the United States (PDF). Washington, DC: United States Department of Labor. 1957. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  4. ^ The Current Industrial Relations Scene in Canada. Industrial Relations Centre. 1988.
  5. ^ Directory of National Unions and Employee Associations (PDF). Washington, DC: United States Department of Labor. 1980. Retrieved 3 May 2022.