The United Rubber, Cork, Linoleum and Plastic Workers of America (URW) was a labor union representing workers involved in manufacturing using specific materials in the United States and Canada.
The union was founded in 1935 as the United Rubber Workers of America and was chartered by the American Federation of Labor (AFL) on September 12. It aligned itself with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), and as a result, was suspended by the AFL in 1936 and expelled in 1938. In 1937, it was chartered by the CIO, and by 1953, it had grown to become the federation's sixth-largest affiliate, with 190,000 members.
In 1955, the URW affiliated to the new AFL-CIO, and by 1980, its membership had increased slightly, to 199,990. On July 2, 1995, it merged into the United Steelworkers of America.
Presidents 1935: Sherman Dalrymple 1945: L. S. Buckmaster 1960: George Burdon 1966: Peter Bommarito 1981: Mike Stone 1990: Kenneth L. Coss
See also 1936 Akron rubber strike 1943 Akron rubber strike
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