The United Textile Workers of America (UTW) was a North American

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

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 The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was a national federation of labor unions in the United States that continues today as the AFL-CIO. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions eager to provide mutual ...

(AFL) as an amalgamation of several smaller craft unions. AFL first vice president James Duncan presided over a two-day initial conference held at

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's Quincy House Hotel in May before a larger conference finalized the organization in November. The union's most important early leader was

John Golden John Lionel Golden (June 27, 1874 – June 17, 1955) was an American actor, songwriter, author, and theatrical producer. As a songwriter, he is best-known as lyricist for " Poor Butterfly" (1916). He produced many Broadway shows and four film ...

, a

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-born spinner from

Fall River, Massachusetts Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States census, making it the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, tenth-largest city in the state, and the second- ...

. 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. Militia in Pawtucket

During the 1900s & 1910s, UTW engaged in intense competition with the

Industrial Workers of the World The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), whose members are nicknamed "Wobblies", is an international labor union founded in Chicago, United States in 1905. The nickname's origin is uncertain. Its ideology combines general unionism with indu ...

(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, the 1913 Hazleton silk 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 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 The Textile Workers Union of America (TWUA) was an industrial unionism, industrial union of textile workers established through the Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1939 and merged with the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America to becom ...

, founded in 1939. A diminished UTW continued separately after 1939 and, in 1996, merged with the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. In 1922, the UTW was one of the leaders of the

1922 New England Textile Strike The New England Textile Strike was a strike action, strike led by members of the United Textile Workers of America (UTW) principally in the U.S. states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Throughout the duration of the strike, an e ...

. Occurring primarily in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, the strike involved 40,000–50,000 workers who refused to work for approximately 200 days. This was alongside the IWW & ACTWU. Leadership of the strike was divided; the UTW & ACTWU led in Rhode Island whereas the IWW, ACTWU, and UTW were at the helm in Massachusetts. The UTW completely led it in New Hampshire.

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:

: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 * Horace Riviere, Head of the New England district

References

{{reflist

External links

PBS
''The Uprising of '34'' 1901 establishments in the United States 1939 disestablishments in the United States American Federation of Labor affiliates Textile and clothing trade unions Defunct trade unions in the United States