Fact Sheet (from Unite N.Y)
Merger UNITE! - HERE press release (read more)

UNITE!
  • Formed in1995 by the merger of two of the nation's oldest unions, the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) and the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU).
  • Represents more than 200,000 workers through joint boards and local unions in the United States and Canada.
  • Major sectors: apparel and textile manufacturing, industrial laundries, apparel distribution centers, retail and light manufacturing.
  • Ethnically diverse membership with high percentages of African-Americans, Latino and Asian immigrants.
  • Majority of members are women.
  • Organizing is a top priority: More than 40% of UNITE's national budget goes toward organizing. 82,000 new members organized since July 1995.
  • Current major organizing campaigns: Cintas, H&M, Angelica.
  • Bruce Raynor has been president since July 1, 2001 and was re-elected at the union's Second Constitutional
    Convention in Las Vegas in July 2003.
  • UNITE created the "Behind the Label" campaign as part of his efforts in the anti-sweat-shop movement.
  • Historic highlight: JP Stevens campaign, which resulted in victory in 1980 after a 17 year struggle and was depicted in the Oscar winning film "Norma Rea."

HERE
Hotel Employees and restaurant Employees International Union

  • Received its original charter from the American Federation of Labor on April 24, 1891

  • Has 260,000 members through 111 affiliated local unions across the United States and Canada.

  • Major sectors: service/hospitality industries including hotels, casinos, airports, foodservice and restaurants.

  • Major contracts/employers: Hilton, Starwood, Aramark, Ceasars Entertainment, MGM/Mirage, Harrah's Entertainment, Mandalay Resorts and Hyatt.

  • Membership is comprised largely of immigrants, including Latinos and Asians

  • Majority of members are women.

  • Have organized an average 10,000 to 12,000 new mew members in each of the past six years.

  • John Wilhelm has been president since 1998.

  • HERE organized the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride last fall, a historic bus tour for nearly 1,000 immigrant workers that educated Americans about the contributions and struggles of immigrant workers through media coverage and direct action.

  • Historic highlight: Frontier strike in Las Vegas, one of the longest successful strikes in U.S. history lasting six and half years: no one crossed the line and all strikers got their jobs back with seniority and back pension service credits.