Tobacco Workers International Union
The Tobacco Workers International Union (TWIU) was a labor union representing workers in the tobacco industry in the United States and Canada. History The union was founded on May 25, 1895, at a conference in St. Louis, which brought together ten local unions. Initially named the National Tobacco Workers' Union, becoming the TWIU in 1899. The union immediately faced opposition from the American Tobacco Company. In response, it promoted a boycott of the company, while encouraging independent companies which permitted it to organize to place union labels in their products. It also fought to end the use of child labor in the tobacco industry, and to improve working conditions. In 1916, workers in various factories across New York and the Mid West walked out to demand wage increases. This led the union to become more militant, and it had particular success in recruiting workers in North Carolina. By 1920, membership had risen to 15,200, but reversals in North Carolina reduced this figure to only 1,500 in 1925, and the union came close to bankruptcy. However, it recovered through organizing workers in the Axton-Fisher Tobacco Company, which experienced rapid growth. Working conditions in tobacco factories of Richmond, Virginia were very poor