Look For the Union Label TV Commercial (1970s-1980s)
Table of Contents
History Of The International Ladies Garment Workers Union
This commercial for ILGWU (The International Ladies Garment Workers Union) ran in various forms throughout my childhood.
The union had a long history.
According to the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University:
The ILGWU was formed on June 3, 1900, by eleven delegates representing local unions from the major garment centers in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Newark. These local unions’ memberships numbered about two thousand workers and were comprised primarily of Jewish immigrants, many of them socialist, who had recently arrived in the United States from Eastern Europe. Many had been active trade unionists before coming to America, and in some instances, had participated in or organized unions upon arrival.
The story continues with the struggle of women to aspire to union leadership:
While on the local level women served in office on local union boards or as business agent, often men were managers of these international affiliates. Fannia Cohn, who had been an organizer and later an important figure in the growth of international’s educational department, was also the first female Vice President in the ILGWU, and later, organizer Rose Pesotta was elected a Vice President of the ILGWU. These women were exceptions to the tacit rule, and Pesotta was especially vocal in her disapproval of the union’s leadership.
Here is a video (date unknown) showing solidarity with ILGWU, sung by a men’s choir for some reason:
Look For The Union Label!
Real union workers were used in these commercials.
The 1978 version:
The 1981 version:
This was when some clothes were still made in the U.S.A, although that was starting to change.
It was reasonably easy to get a job back then . . . not like now.
These commercials were really famous back in the 1970s and the early 1980s.
Remember, with only 3 networks plus PBS, television advertising was very powerful.
As a matter of fact, there were quite a few parodies of this song.
I didn’t pay much attention to them back then, although I would sing the song as the commercial played, but they really touch my heart now.
Further Reading
You can find the history of ILGWU and the lyrics for this song here:
International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union
You may also read about the labor movement in New Jersey:
American Labor Museum and the Pietro and Maria Botto House | Haledon, New Jersey
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and check out some posts from the other blog The Literary Lioness!
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Thanks for visiting New Jersey Memories!
2 Comments
Debbie
i remember these commercials. i am very observant of buying local, supporting local farmers and craftsmen when i can. i don't think often about unions!!!
New Jersey Memories
It's very important to support local businesses.
These commercials are so memorable partly because they used real workers in them instead of actors. And of course the song.