Union Dues Stamps – USA & Canada

The Shirt, Waist and Laundry Workers’ International Union was formed in November 1900 in Troy, NY. In September 1909, the stock laundry workers joined the Garment Workers of America, and the custom laundry workers formed the Laundry Workers International Union. The union was ousted from the AFL-CIO in December 1957 because of corruption charges. It was replaced in 1958 by the Laundry and Dry Cleaning International Union.

Here's a membership card for 1943 from Local 107 (Salem, Oregon) of the LWIU:

This union was formed in 1914 when it split off from the United Garment Workers of America. Canadian locals were located in Montreal, Toronto and Hamilton from the onset. In 1976 the ACWA merged with the Textile Workers Union of America to form the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union, which merged with the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union in 1995 to create the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE).

Weekly dues stamps were attached to semi-annual membership cards.

Here's a card for the second half of 1960 from ACWA Local 377 (Fall River, Massachusetts):

The Wood, Wire, and Metal Lathers' International Union was organized in 1899 in Detroit, Michigan. It included construction workers involved in the installation of light metal lath framing for holding plaster and concrete. In 1936, of the 189 locals associated with this union, three were in Canada. In the 1970s as drywall replaced lath and plaster as the main wall coverings, the remaining lathers joined with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.

Monthly dues stamps were attached to a 7-year Dues Book.

Here are the pages from a Dues Book for 1947-1954 from Local 81 (Pasadena, CA):

The National Cigar Makers' Union was formed in 1864 in New York City. Three years later, with inclusion of local 27 from Toronto, the name was changed to the Cigar Makers' International Union of America. Membership peaked at about 50,000 prior to WWI. Thereafter, increased demand for cigarettes, better automation in the manufacture of cigars, and the Great Depression, led to a steady decline in cigar making jobs. In 1974, the remaining 2300 members of the CMIU voted to merge with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.

The union issued weekly dues and other assessment and initiation stamps.

Here are weekly dues and special assessment stamps from a Dues Book from 1907-1909 from Local 104 (Pottsville, PA):

The Newfoundland Protective Association of Shop and Office Employees (NPASOE) was founded in 1938, in response to wage cuts and lay offs due to the economic conditions of the Great Depression. Headquarters were located in St. John’s, NL. Negotiations between the NPASOE and the Importers & Employers Association resulted in standardized pay rates and improved working conditions. The NPASOE was in operation until 1949, when it became local 1607 of the Retail Clerks International Association.

Stamps were used to show monthly dues paid, and were affixed to annual membership cards.

Here's a membership card from 1947:

A brewery workers’ union began in Baltimore, MD in 1886 as the National Union of Working Brewers of the United States. A year later it was renamed the National Union of the United Brewery Workmen of the United States. In 1902, a union local was formed in Toronto and in 1903 the name was changed to the International Union of United Brewery Workmen of America, to include locals from Canada. The onset of Prohibition led to the inclusion of soft drink workers in the union, which again changed its name in 1917 to the International Union of United Brewery and Soft Drink Workers of America. A year later it included flour and cereal milling workers and changed the name to the International Union of United Brewery, Flour, Cereal, and Soft Drink Workers of America. In 1946 distillery workers were included and the name was changed again to the International Union of United Brewery, Flour, Cereal, Soft Drink and Distillery Workers of America. In 1973 the US locals voted to merge with the Teamsters union, while most of the Canadian locals became the Canadian Union of United Brewery, Flour, Cereal, Soft Drink and Distillery Workers. In 1992, the Canadian union was renamed the Brewery, General, and Professional Workers' Union, and in 2005, it merged with the Service Employees International Union.

The stamps used for monthly membership dues and reserve fund fees retained a very similar appearance, featuring a barrel flanked by winged lions.

Here are stamps from a Membership Book from 1933-1942 from Local 7 (San Francisco, CA):

Note: the blue and red union labels are printed directly onto the inside cover.

And here are stamps from 1957 from Local 21 (Belleville, IL):

This short-lived union was formed in St. Louis, Missouri in October 1918. It included foremen and superintendents of railroad mechanics who were railway employees but were technically classified as “subordinate officials” and as such were not permitted to be affiliated with organized labour. In 1923, the Association’s executive voted to allow all railway employees holding supervisory positions to be members, and changed the name to International Association of Railway Supervisors. Of the approximately 300 locals for this union, there were 18 in Canada.

Monthly Per Capita stamps were attached to annual membership cards. Initiation and reinstatement stamps may also have been used.

Here's a set of three cards for 1921-1923 from Lodge No. 297 (location unknown):

The American Newspaper Guild was formed in Washington, DC in December 1933. It represents workers in news publishing organizations. In the early 1950s the ANG began including Canadian locals, and in 1971 the name of the union was shortened to “The Newspaper Guild” to better represent its international extent.

Monthly dues stamps were attached to annual membership cards.

The American Newspaper Guild monthly dues stamp

1978 annual membership card from the San Francisco-Oakland Newspaper Guild:

The Boot and Shoe Workers' Union was formed in Boston in April 1895 by the amalgamation of several unions of boot and shoemakers. Local unions in Canada were formed by 1901, mainly in Ontario. In 1977 the 83-year old union merged with the Retail Clerks’ International Union. Two years later the Retail Clerks merged with the Amalgamated Meat Cutters to form the United Food and Commercial Workers.

Weekly dues stamps were attached to annual “Member’s Due Books”.

Here's a Due book from 1927 from Local 366 (location unknown):

This union representing iron factory workers was formed in 1859 in Philadelphia, PA as the National Union of Iron Molders. It was the first labour union in the US to extend its jurisdiction to Canada, and in 1863 it changed its name to Iron Molders’ International Union. In 1907 the name International Molders’ Union of North America was adopted. In 1940 the name was changed to International Molders’ and Foundry Workers’ Union of North America. A series of mergers led the union to change its name in September 1961 to the International Molders and Allied Workers Union. In 1988, the IMAWU merged with the Glass, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers International Union (GPPA) to create the Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers International Union (GMP).

Here are stamps for 1961-1972 from Local 20 (Enterprise, KS):

Hi cindycan2:

Interesting items.  Where do you find them?  Are they offered on eBay?

Don SH

The Toronto Typographical Union was a union representing newspaper printers. It traces its roots back to the formation in 1832 of the York Typographical Society. In 1866 the Society affiliated with its American counterpart and received a union charter, becoming the Toronto Typographical Union (Local 91). In 1994 the Union merged with the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, Local 91-0.

One stamp has been seen, which was used to indicate payment of union dues. It is handstamped “A. Lamont / FIN. SEC.”

Allan N. Lamont was a Toronto printer and financial secretary of the TTU until 1893.