Laborers' International Union of North America
Encyclopedia
The Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA, often shortened to just the Laborer
s' Union) is an American
and Canadian
labor union
formed in 1903. As of March 31, 2010, they have about 632,000 members, members, about 80,000 of which are in Canada.
The current general president is Terence M. O'Sullivan
who was appointed general president in 2000, elected by delegates in 2001, and re-elected in 2006. He did not face an opponent in either election. The union is divided into nine regions across North America
; these regions are further divided into a total of just over 500 local unions. One region is in Canada and is led by Joseph Mancinelli
.
On June 1, 2006, O'Sullivan announced that LIUNA had disaffiliated from the AFL-CIO
and joined the Change to Win Federation
. However, LIUNA officials said on August 13, 2010, that the union would leave Change to Win and rejoin the AFL-CIO in October 2010.
20th Century - During the early 20th century, the union achieved considerable wage rises for members in Pittsburgh
, New York City, New York and Chicago, and orchestrated strikes
in Boston, St. Louis
and Philadelphia
.
1920 - By 1920, membership had climbed to 96,000. The union backed calls by African American
workers to be allowed full and equal status as union members, denying permission for segregated unions to be founded in Kansas City
and Cincinnati
.
1929 Great Depression to the 1930s - During the Great Depression of the 1930s, membership fell to under 30,000 as more and more lost their jobs, but by 1942, membership had climbed to 200,000 - over half of which left their jobs to serve in World War II
.
1950s - In the early 1950s, the union was involved in some of the first worker pension
plans in Chicago.
1940s - By the early 1960s, workers in California
successfully struck to earn pension rights of their own -membership had now risen to 420,000, and the union renamed itself the Laborers' International Union of America.
1970s and 1980s - In the 70s and 80s, efforts were organized to enable greater rights for Latino
laborers, improved education and training of all workers, and to encourage workers to look into the possibly lucrative field of asbestos
removal.
1994 - By 1994, the United States Department of State
had recognized construction as an apprenticeable
occupation. The LIUNA were involved in the reconstruction of Interstate 10
in Los Angeles
following an earthquake
.
September 11, 2001 - In 2001, over 3,000 members of the LIUNA participated in the clean up at Ground Zero
in New York, following the September 11 terrorist attacks
.
April 13, 2003 The Laborers' Union celebrated its 100th anniversary
on April 13, 2003.
Laborer
A Laborer or labourer - see variation in english spelling - is one of the construction trades, traditionally considered unskilled manual labor, as opposed to skilled labor. In the division of labor, laborers have all blasting, hand tools, power tools, air tools, and small heavy equipment, and act...
s' Union) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canadian
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...
labor 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...
formed in 1903. As of March 31, 2010, they have about 632,000 members, members, about 80,000 of which are in Canada.
The current general president is Terence M. O'Sullivan
Terence M. O'Sullivan
Terence M. O'Sullivan is a labor union activist and, since 1999, president of the Laborers' International Union of North America .-Early life and career:...
who was appointed general president in 2000, elected by delegates in 2001, and re-elected in 2006. He did not face an opponent in either election. The union is divided into nine regions across North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
; these regions are further divided into a total of just over 500 local unions. One region is in Canada and is led by Joseph Mancinelli
Joseph Mancinelli
Joseph "Joe" Mancinelli is the International Vice President and Regional Manager for Central and Eastern Canada of the Laborers' International Union of North America, a US-based labour union representing over 800,000 total members with 60,000 members in the LIUNA Central and Eastern Canadian...
.
On June 1, 2006, O'Sullivan announced that LIUNA had disaffiliated from 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...
and joined the Change to Win Federation
Change to Win Federation
The Change to Win Federation is a coalition of American labor unions originally formed in 2005 as an alternative to the AFL-CIO. The coalition is associated with strong advocacy of the organizing model...
. However, LIUNA officials said on August 13, 2010, that the union would leave Change to Win and rejoin the AFL-CIO in October 2010.
Historical highlights
April 13, 1903 - The Laborers' Union was formed on April 13, 1903, initially as a building construction union, called the International Hod Carriers and Building Laborers' Union, with just over 8,000 founding members.20th Century - During the early 20th century, the union achieved considerable wage rises for members in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, New York City, New York and Chicago, and orchestrated strikes
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
in Boston, St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
.
1920 - By 1920, membership had climbed to 96,000. The union backed calls by African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
workers to be allowed full and equal status as union members, denying permission for segregated unions to be founded in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
and Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
.
1929 Great Depression to the 1930s - During the Great Depression of the 1930s, membership fell to under 30,000 as more and more lost their jobs, but by 1942, membership had climbed to 200,000 - over half of which left their jobs to serve in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
1950s - In the early 1950s, the union was involved in some of the first worker pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
plans in Chicago.
1940s - By the early 1960s, workers in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
successfully struck to earn pension rights of their own -membership had now risen to 420,000, and the union renamed itself the Laborers' International Union of America.
1970s and 1980s - In the 70s and 80s, efforts were organized to enable greater rights for Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
laborers, improved education and training of all workers, and to encourage workers to look into the possibly lucrative field of asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
removal.
1994 - By 1994, the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
had recognized construction as an apprenticeable
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
occupation. The LIUNA were involved in the reconstruction of Interstate 10
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
following an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
.
September 11, 2001 - In 2001, over 3,000 members of the LIUNA participated in the clean up at Ground Zero
World Trade Center site
The World Trade Center site , also known as "Ground Zero" after the September 11 attacks, sits on in Lower Manhattan in New York City...
in New York, following the September 11 terrorist attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
.
April 13, 2003 The Laborers' Union celebrated its 100th anniversary
Anniversary
An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...
on April 13, 2003.