Objekt des Monats
Jedes Objekt in der Sammlung des Deutschen Auswandererhauses erzählt eine ganz persönliche Auswanderungs- oder Einwanderungsgeschichte. In dieser Rubrik stellen wir Ihnen jeden Monat ein anderes Objekt vor – eine Fotografie, ein Dokument oder ein persönliches Erinnerungsstück.
Each object in the collection of the Deutsches Auswandererhaus tells a personal story of migration or immigration. In this section, we present a different object every month – a photograph, a document, or a personal memorabilia.
April 2026
ILGWU Union Label, around 1960
| Size | 2.5 x 1.6 x 0.1 cm |
| Material | Metal |
| Collection | Deutsches Auswandererhaus |
Historical Context
In the middle of the 20th century, New York City is a leading production center in the USA, especially in labor-intensive industries such as the garment industry. Working conditions vary greatly: alongside numerous unorganized sweatshops with low wages and long hours – primarily employing migrants – there are also organized businesses that offer better conditions through collective bargaining and political influence. US unions are particularly strong in the northeast. One of the largest, the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU), has around 450,000 members at this time and has collective agreements in more than half of the garment businesses in the country – most of them in New York.
In response to changing working conditions, many companies shift their production from the Northeast to the South of the USA or abroad between 1945 and 1975 to take advantage of cheaper production conditions. This contributes to the gradual deindustrialization of New York. From the 1950s, these relocated businesses are referred to as “runaways”. As a result, employment in manufacturing in New York is halved between 1950 and 1975 – from the garment and furniture industry to food processing. In 1960, over 900,000 people work in this sector; by 1974, this number has fallen to below 280,000.
In response to this development, the ILGWU seeks not only to counteract politically and union-wise but also to involve consumers. In 1959, it launches a national Union Label- campaign. Over the first three years, approximately 1.7 billion labels are distributed, indicating that the products are manufactured in union-organized businesses – and thus under comparatively fair working conditions. One of these labels can now be found in the Deutsches Auswandererhaus and is the “Object of the Month.”
Brief history of the ILGWU
The International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) is founded on June 3, 1900, in New York. It represents workers in the textile industry who produce women’s clothing. Initially, the ILGWU has about 2,000 members, predominantly Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. Following the strong strike movement of 1909/10, the membership number grows to over 84,000. Although the leadership remains male-dominated, the majority of members are women who actively shape the union. Later, there is an increase in African American, Asian, and Latin American workers, including many from Puerto Rico.
Among the key actions of the ILGWU are the strike known as Uprising of 20,000 (1909), the largest women’s strike movement in U.S. history, led by Ukrainian Jewish immigrant Clara Lemlich, as well as the Great Revolt (1910) with around 60,000 striking coat makers. These strikes lead to the so-called Protocol of Peace, a significant agreement between the ILGWU and employers in New York, which brings, among other things, a 50-hour work week and minimum wage increases.
Beyond labor struggles, the ILGWU is also engaged in educational and social work for its members. From 1973 onwards, membership numbers decline significantly due to business relocations and increasing foreign import competition. In 1992, the ILGWU has about 130,000 members. In 1995, it merges with the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union to form the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE).
Significance of the object
An ILGWU label in the reconstructed New York Sweatshop at the Deutsches Auswandererhaus showcases an important chapter in the history of labor movements. Although the first label emerges with the founding of the ILGWU, it is not systematically and widely used until the national campaign in 1959. Only then do billions of labels appear on clothing and other items, inviting buyers to choose union-made products.
Our specimen belongs to a design from 1959-1963, identifiable by the characteristic zigzag emblem featuring a needle and thread. Labels without this feature indicate production before the 1950s. Later labels are often in color (red and blue) and carry additional markings such as the ® symbol (“Registered Trademark“) and the note “Made in the USA”. The numbers and letters on the label serve to document and identify the involved employers; however, the exact workings of this system are no longer fully known today.
The label is also distributed at many union events to reach other unions and the general public. In 1975, a jingle that spread through radio and television strengthened the campaign and remains memorable for many decades:
Look for the union labelwhen you are buying that coat, dress, or blouse.Remember somewhere, our union’s sewing,our wages going to feed the kids, and run the house.We work hard, but who’s complaining?Thanks to the ILG we’re paying our way!So always look for the union label,it says we’re able to make it in the U.S.A.!Text: Paula Green, Music: Malcolm Dodds
Although the campaign and its label only marginally increase consumer activism, it becomes culturally very well-known. It raises public awareness of union work and conveys a widely visible image of the organized working class – especially of women, migrants, and people of color.
Do you also …
… have a migration story from your family that you would like to share along with the related items and documents with the Deutsches Auswandererhaus for its collection? Then please contact Dr. Tanja Fittkau at the phone number 0471 / 90 22 0 – 0
or via email at: t.fittkau@dah-bremerhaven.de
Do You Also Have …
… a story of emigration or immigration in your family that you would like to share with the German Emigration Center together with the related objects and documents for its collection? Then please contact Dr. Tanja Fittkau by phone at +49 471 / 90 22 0 – 0
or by e-mail at: t.fittkau@dah-bremerhaven.de