Labor unions have been active for hundreds of years as workers leverage their power of collective bargaining to push back against the exploitation of management and capital. Recognizing that promoting a union could be a marketing opportunity, unions quickly introduced the idea of a union label, as a way to tell consumers what products were made with union labor. That trend continues today, but where did it start, what was its history, and how has it evolved over time?
The Oldest Modern Union Label
The oldest labor union in modern society – discounting unions in centuries-old pre-industrial societies and so on – was the International Molders and Foundry Workers Union of North America. That union was established back in 1859 to represent the workers creating wrought iron products, but the union didn't have a label to put on their products.
The oldest union that brought up the idea of a label was the Cigar Maker's Union, which created and started using a union label for union-made boxes of cigars all the way back in 1874. This is broadly considered the first union label in common use.
This is also the era when the AFL, or American Federation of Labor, was formed. The union was made up of trade unions and officially formed in 1886. They will be, as you might imagine, very relevant later.
Garment Unions and Union Labels
Garment workers formed unions in the late 1890s and early 1900s. In 1900, several garment worker unions in New York City joined forces to form the ILGWU or International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. This union has a long and fascinating history, but we're not digging into all of it today; that's a matter for whole books.
The ILGWU, in the meeting where they founded the union, also created and adopted a label for their garments. The idea was solid, but adoption remained low, and after half a decade, usage had almost entirely ended outside of one factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Other unions during this time were created and proliferated. Another large and famous union was the UGWA, or United Garment Workers of America. This union had a complex logo of a sewing station in a circle, and over time they added it to more and more products.
In 1914, some portion of the UGWA's membership split off to form the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America. Both unions worked to support union-made garments, albeit in different ways.
Throughout the following decades, various motions were made to create and use union labels, including cloakmakers pushing for a compulsory union label and the NYC governor hoping to implement an industry-wide union label. Unfortunately, infighting between unions, along with more national-level concerns and international geopolitical concerns, all meant that more formal implementation was delayed and never ended up happening.
The Prosanis Label
One label you can find on vintage clothing from this era is the Prosanis label. Prosanis is a badge and label attached to garments manufactured in the years between 1924 and 1929, and many view it as one of the earliest union labels. This view is, however, wrong.
The Prosanis label is not a union label, and it's not a brand name. Instead, it's a label of external validation, something sort of like our current modern-day Fair Trade labels. The New York City Joint Board of Sanitary Control created the label and issued it to manufacturers whose facilities passed sanitation and safety reviews.
These days, labels like Fairtrade and even things like OSHA certifications are similar; they're validations of the conditions of labor and manufacturing, but they aren't issued or validated by unions themselves.
The 1930s and the National Recovery Act
In the 1930s, during the New Deal era, the National Recovery Act was passed as a way to attempt to stimulate the economy, regulate industry, invest in public works, and legalize collective bargaining. It was originally published in 1933.
During this period, a blue eagle label was created as a sort of union-adjacent label for goods produced under the National Recovery Act. This occasionally confuses casual observers; after all, you don't expect the NRA to have certified garments, right? It's just a different NRA. The settlement of the New York Dressmaker's strike in 1933 made the NRA Eagle mandatory on dresses of the time; coat-suit makers adopted it quickly, and other garment industry producers followed.
Like the Prosanis label, however, the NRA Eagle didn't last very long. In 1935, the Supreme Court declared the National Recovery Act unconstitutional. At the time, and by now, the Act has been deemed a failure, and it largely promoted monopolies rather than labor unions, and wasn't well-administered. Whether or not it would have been sorted out given more time to cook is a question for the history books.
It did, however, set more of a precedent of identifying union-made garments, and on the heels of the Eagle being struck down, various unions adopted continuing ways to identify ethically-produced products. The National Coat & Suit Recovery Board was formed to promote NRA-style practices and issued a Consumer Protection label that was in use until 1959.
In 1936, the ILGWU formed their own Union Label Office, and this time, it was much more successful, with 32 firms using the label. This label, with the ILGWU name, an eagle in a circle, and the slogan "Union Made," is one of the most common vintage union labels from before 1955.
The Formation of the CIO
The Congress of Industrial Organizations was founded in 1935 as a federation of unions representing industrial unions throughout the United States and Canada. It operated both as a counterpart and rival to the AFL, and the two were bitterly – and sometimes violently – opposed, both in ideals and at ground-level in terms of operations.
During and after the Great Depression, both the AFL and the CIO grew by leaps and bounds, making them some of the most powerful trade federations and union groups in the world. To be clear, neither of these organizations has been fully "on the right side of history"; at varying points, they have bought into the Red Scare, broadly opposed immigration of all sorts, and more. Still, by supporting unions and providing stronger backing for them, they've helped in countless ways over the decades.
In 1955, the AFL and the CIO set aside their differences and joined, forming the AFL-CIO, an organization that still exists today.
1950s Union Labels
Union labels were growing more and more prominent on clothing in the 1950s, and when the AFL-CIO was formed, the ILGWU added their support. In 1956, the ILGWU pushed to make union labels mandatory in the dress industry, and by 1958, had formed the Union Label Department. The official ILGWU union label was launched in 1959.
Union labels of this era use the most broadly recognized version of the ILGWU label, a needle and thread surrounding their acronym. They also had an AFL-CIO badge either alongside or imprinted on the logo, showing their combined support.
Evolution in the 1960s and 70s
In 1960, the Coat and Suit Industry Recovery Board – still in operation but having abandoned the eagle for a starker logo – merged with the ILGWU and merged their label. Often, it simply meant both badges were placed on a garment. The slogan at the time was simply "The Best is Union Made", a statement that holds true today.
By 1963, this slogan was simplified into simply Union Made, something we barely recognize as a slogan rather than a simple label today. By 1968, it's estimated that 2.7 billion union labels were distributed to their affiliate facilities and attached to garments.
Things changed again in the 70s. During this time, a steep increase in goods imported to America meant that standing out was much more important, and union labels started incorporating red, white, and blue coloring, as well as the Made in America statement. The modern Made in America movement is a little different, but the roots are the same: a goal of showcasing goods made domestically rather than from foreign producers.
Interestingly, while it was common in the 70s, the Made in USA addendum wasn't made mandatory until 1985.
Labels of this era still showcase the ILGWU logo but with color and the added Made in USA along the side or below it. Over time, more and more information was added as well, including composition of the garment, and information about where it was made. This set of logos were in use for a long time and for billions of garments, so they are some of the most commonly-seen union labels on vintage clothing.
The 90s and Beyond
In 1995, the ILGWU merged with the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union to form the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees. Their acronym being UNITE is no coincidence.
Labels in this era use the UNITE! Acronym/slogan/icon. Admittedly, it's a step down in terms of logo design, but it's definitely noticeable. These labels still include the Made in USA label as well.
The United Garment Workers of America merged into the United Food and Commercial Workers Union in 1994.
Another decade later, in 2005, the UNITE union merged with the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union, HERE, to form UNITE-HERE. This, too, was maintained as a combination of slogan, logo, and union label, so clothing of this era often has UNITE-HERE! On it.
Unfortunately, in the late 90s and early 2000s, union labeling has declined immensely. It's only in the last few years that it has been growing again, thanks in large part due to concerns over environmentalism, ethical production from imported goods, and a growing Made in America movement.
Where the Union Bug Comes In
Something we haven't mentioned yet is the Union Bug.
A Union Bug is just another name for a union label. In some cases, it's a way of specifically referencing a smaller and more permanent version of a union label; for example, when a tag is sewn into a shirt, the main tag that hangs loose would have the full union label, while the portion sewn to the garment has a smaller union bug; if the tag wears out or is removed, the bit at the top remains with the smaller but still-visible union bug.
Union bugs still remain today, though the difference between a union bug and a union label is virtually nonexistent. It's just another name for the concept.
Today, if you want to have ethically-produced union-made goods manufactured for you, you can opt to have them include the union bug in your designs,
Modern Unions and Ethical Production
One of the greatest advantages of a large, distributed, connected, and attentive society is that we can all collectively pay closer attention to the things that matter. Problems can be visible more readily, and solutions can propagate more quickly.
Our current landscape is a mixture of major global unions like UNITE-HERE, and much smaller or more regional unions. It's also often difficult to tell if a union is effective, or if they exist in name only. Beyond that, there are many ways to have a garment ethically and sustainably produced, in safe and sanitary conditions, but without a union involved. It's not a simple "either this is union or it's bad" landscape.
Take our shop, for example. We offer a wide range of products that can be printed and customized for your needs. Some of these products are union-made, and we proudly present that fact when it's true. Other products aren't union-made but are ethically made and with sustainable-sourced, eco-friendly production. Some are made in the USA, while others might not be or aren't verifiable.
Does that mean the non-union products we offer are bad? Of course not. We go to great lengths to make sure everything we offer is as ethical, sustainable, and supportive of modern ideals as possible, and we're more than happy to discuss the details of each and every product you're interested in. Just browse our shop, and if you find something or have any questions, feel free to drop us a line!
Daniel Cardozo, CEO of Ethix Merch, is a passionate advocate for ethical promotional products. With a mission to transform global supply chains, he serves on the Labor 411 Foundation and Advertising Specialty Institute's Promo for the Planet Advisory Board. Daniel is dedicated to empowering socially and environmentally-conscious consumers.
