The Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America held a convention in New York City to mark its twenty-fifth anniversary in 1940. This satirical "program", illustrated with cartoons, was issued on the occasion of the convention and was presumably distributed to the delegates.
The Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, the foremost union representing workers in the men's clothing industry, was founded in Chicago in 1914 as a breakaway movement from the United Garment Workers. Under the leadership of Sidney Hillman, the ACWA grew rapidly. By the late 1920s it had organized over 100,000 members in the major garment industry cities across North America. The depression decreased its membership, but by the mid-1930s it had strengthened sufficiently to play a leading part in the creation of the CIO. Sidney Hillman became an influential political figure and a key advisor to Franklin D. Roosevelt on labor and economic issues. He served on the board of the National Recovery Administration and during World War II was named associate director of the Office of Production Management, which helped mobilize the nation's resources for the war effort. The ACWA merged with the Textile Workers of America in 1976, forming the ACTWU, which in 1995 merged with the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union to form the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees [UNITE].
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Keywords: LABOR; TRADE UNION; AMALGAMATED CLOTHING WORKERS OF AMERICA; ACWA; 25TH ANNIVERSARY CONVENTION; PROGRAM; HUMOR; SATIRE;CARTOONS; ABE HERSHKOWITZ; S. RASKIN.