International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union

The International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU), founded in 1900, was a labor union representing workers in the women's garment industry, mainly in the U.S. and Canada. It aimed to improve working conditions, wages, and hours for sewing textiles, often advocating for safer workplaces, fair pay, and workers’ rights. The union played a significant role in labor movements, organizing strikes and campaigns to address exploitation and poor working environments in the clothing manufacturing sector. Over time, it evolved through mergers and shifts in the industry, remaining an influential symbol of workers’ advocacy in apparel manufacturing.