Coalition of Labor Union Women
Encyclopedia
The Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan
organization of trade union
women affiliated with the AFL-CIO
.
CLUW has four goals:
, Illinois
in 1974 as part of a wave of constituency group organizing within the AFL-CIO. The AFL-CIO had chartered its first retiree organization, the National Council of Senior Citizens (NCSC), in 1962 and its first civil rights organization, the A. Philip Randolph Institute
(APRI), in 1965. The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
(CBTU) followed in 1972.
The impetus for the formation of CLUW came in June 1973 when women labor union leaders, led by Olga Madar
of the United Auto Workers
and Addie Wyatt of the United Food and Commercial Workers
met to discuss the formation of a new AFL-CIO body to create a more effective voice for women in the labor movement. More than 3,000 women attended the conference.
The Coalition of Labor Union Women was formed during a national convention held March 23 to March 24, 1974. Myra Wolfgang, secretary-treasurer of the Detroit Joint Executive Board of Hotel and Restaurant Employees' and Bartenders' International Union
, brought the 3,200 delegates to their feet by declaring:
Olga Madar was elected the organization's first president.
CLUW has five national officers: A president, executive vice president, treasurer, recording secretary, and a corresponding secretary. There are also 12 vice presidents. The president-emeritus, executive vice-president emeritus, officers and vice presidents comprise a National Executive Board (NEB).
The CLUW constitution also provides for a National Officers Council. The Council comprises the members of the NEB, state vice-presidents, state alternate vice-presidents, union delegates, chapter presidents and chapter delegates. The Council governs CLUW in the period between conventions. Its rulings and policies are binding unless reversed by the convention. The Council meets three times a year.
CLUW has both state and local chapters. The NEB is empowered to charter new chapters, and Article XIII of the CLUW constitution governs the conditions under which they may be established. Currently, there are about 75 CLUW chapters in the U.S. and Canada
, with members in about 60 international American and Canadian unions.
In 2009, Karen See, a member of the APWU, was elected CLUW president.
In 1979, CLUW established the CLUW Center for Education and Research. The center is a nonprofit entity which provides education and training programs to CLUW members. The goal of the Center is to train members to become more effective advocates for working women in the workplace and the labor movement.
CLUW also sponsors a number of women's health initiatives. These cover breast and cervical cancer awareness and a project to increase access to contraception.
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
organization of trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
women affiliated with the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
.
CLUW has four goals:
- Promoting affirmative action in the workplace
- Strengthening the role of women in unions
- Organizing more women into unions
- Increasing the involvement of women in the democratic process.
History
CLUW was founded in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
in 1974 as part of a wave of constituency group organizing within the AFL-CIO. The AFL-CIO had chartered its first retiree organization, the National Council of Senior Citizens (NCSC), in 1962 and its first civil rights organization, the A. Philip Randolph Institute
A. Philip Randolph Institute
The A. Philip Randolph Institute is an organization for African American trade unionists.-History:Following passage of the Voting Rights Act, APRI was co-founded in 1965 by A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin...
(APRI), in 1965. The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of African American trade union members affiliated with the AFL-CIO....
(CBTU) followed in 1972.
The impetus for the formation of CLUW came in June 1973 when women labor union leaders, led by Olga Madar
Olga Madar
Olga M. Madar was the first woman to serve on the United Auto Workers International Executive Board.Born in Sykesville, Pennsylvania, Madar moved to Detroit, Michigan during the Great Depression. After graduating from Northeastern High School in 1933, Madar started her career in the auto industry...
of the United Auto Workers
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
and Addie Wyatt of the United Food and Commercial Workers
United Food and Commercial Workers
The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union is a labor union representing approximately 1.3 million workers in the United States and Canada in many industries, including agriculture, health care, meatpacking, poultry and food processing, manufacturing, textile, G4S Security, chemical...
met to discuss the formation of a new AFL-CIO body to create a more effective voice for women in the labor movement. More than 3,000 women attended the conference.
The Coalition of Labor Union Women was formed during a national convention held March 23 to March 24, 1974. Myra Wolfgang, secretary-treasurer of the Detroit Joint Executive Board of Hotel and Restaurant Employees' and Bartenders' International Union
UNITE HERE
UNITE HERE is a labor union in the United States and Canada with more than 265,000 active members The union's members work predominantly in the hotel, food service, laundry, warehouse, and casino gaming industries...
, brought the 3,200 delegates to their feet by declaring:
- You can call Mr. Meany and tell him there are 3,000 women in Chicago and they didn't come here to swap recipes!
Olga Madar was elected the organization's first president.
Structure and governance
CLUW is governed by its membership. The membership meets in a biennial convention in October in odd-numbered years. Members may belong to any labor union, and be active or retired. Provisions exist for associate membership for those who are not union members or on long-term layoff. members must belong to a local chapter, or, when no local chapter exists, be a member at-large. National unions and local chapters may elect one delegate to the national convention for every five CLUW members. The membership discusses and sets policy, and elects the officers and board of directors of the organization.CLUW has five national officers: A president, executive vice president, treasurer, recording secretary, and a corresponding secretary. There are also 12 vice presidents. The president-emeritus, executive vice-president emeritus, officers and vice presidents comprise a National Executive Board (NEB).
The CLUW constitution also provides for a National Officers Council. The Council comprises the members of the NEB, state vice-presidents, state alternate vice-presidents, union delegates, chapter presidents and chapter delegates. The Council governs CLUW in the period between conventions. Its rulings and policies are binding unless reversed by the convention. The Council meets three times a year.
CLUW has both state and local chapters. The NEB is empowered to charter new chapters, and Article XIII of the CLUW constitution governs the conditions under which they may be established. Currently, there are about 75 CLUW chapters in the U.S. and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, with members in about 60 international American and Canadian unions.
In 2009, Karen See, a member of the APWU, was elected CLUW president.
Programs
CLUW holds educational conferences the day before each NEB meeting. The conferences cover a wide variety of topics, from equal pay to organizing new workers to family-friendly collective bargaining language.In 1979, CLUW established the CLUW Center for Education and Research. The center is a nonprofit entity which provides education and training programs to CLUW members. The goal of the Center is to train members to become more effective advocates for working women in the workplace and the labor movement.
CLUW also sponsors a number of women's health initiatives. These cover breast and cervical cancer awareness and a project to increase access to contraception.