National Federation of Independent Unions
The National Federation of Independent Unions (also known as the Confederated Unions of America) was a group of independent labor unions not affiliated with the American Federation of Labor (AFL) or the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). It included a variety of unions, including the Mechanics' Educational Society of America (MESA), the , the , and the . Formed in 1942, it sought to create a voice in Washington for independent unionism, particularly on the National War Labor Board (NWLB).[1]
A split within the CUA created the National Independent Union Council. In 1963, the two organizations reunited to form the NFIU, a body with an emphasis on what they term "independent unionism": individual, independent unions with "[t]he right to all the benefits of independence, including total autonomy [and] local treasury control." It affiliated with the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA), AFL-CIO, under terms of extreme autonomy which allow the union to offer members the "rights, benefits and privileges of AFL-CIO membership and its Union Privilege Program" while preserving (for better or worse) their tradition of the independence and autonomy of constituent bodies. Since then, LIUNA briefly left the AFL-CIO to join the Change to Win Federation, then decided to leave Change to Win and resume affiliation with the AFL-CIO.
References[]
- ^ Klemm, Mary (1944). "The Rise of Independent Unionism and the Decline of Labor Oligopoly". The American Economic Review. 34 (1): 76–86. ISSN 0002-8282.
- Council Bluffs [Iowa] Nonpareil, July 25, 1946, p. 2
- Taft, Philip (Apr 1956). "Independent Unions and the Merger". Industrial and Labor Relations Review. 9 (3, The AFL–CIO Merger): 433–446. doi:10.1177/001979395600900309. JSTOR 2519880.
- TIME magazine, March 10, 1958 obituary of Matthew Smith, secretary of the Mechanics Educational Society of America
- Troy, Leo (Apr 1961). "Local Independent Unions and the American Labor Movement". Industrial and Labor Relations Review. 14 (3): 331–349. doi:10.1177/001979396101400301. JSTOR 2519458.
- Mergen, Bernard (Apr 1972). "Blacksmiths and Welders: Identity and Phenomenal Change". Industrial and Labor Relations Review. 25 (3): 354–362. doi:10.1177/001979397202500303. JSTOR 2521318.
External links[]
- "Union Facts| National Federation Of Independent Unions | Locals and other Affiliated Groups". Union Facts. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
- National trade union centers of the United States
- Laborers' International Union of North America
- Trade unions established in 1942
- Trade Union Confederation of the Americas
- Trade union stubs