We are very proud of the history of this local. In 1917 the
first union in the oil industry to endure developed out of a
strike, when oil workers in what is now known as Taft
struck over the 8-hour workday. In those days, our union
was called "Oilfield Workers Union" and our original
charter, dated April 2, 1917 still hangs in our union hall. In
1955, OCAW, Oil, Chemical & Atomic Workers, was
formed from the merger of the United Gas and Chemical
Workers and the Oil Workers International Union. In 1972,
the UPIU, United Paper Workers International Union was
created by the merger of four former international unions.
In 1999, the merger of UPIU and OCAW created the
Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical & Energy Workers
International Union (PACE). PACE is affiliated with the
AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of
Industrial Organizations). For its membership north of the
border, PACE is affiliated with the CLC (Canadian Labour
Congress) this links PACE members with more than 16
million union workers on the north American Continent.
Local 8-6 and more than 1,500 locals in the U.S. and
Canada with over 320,000 members from the international
union. Then, on April 14, 2005, USWA and PACE had the
foresight, vision and wisdom to seize the arc of destiny
and move it in the direction of preserving the future for all
industrial workers and their families. On that day, PACE
and the USWA created the largest, most powerful, fastest
growing and democratic industrial union in North America:
the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber,
Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service
Workers International Union (known as USW), with over
850,000 members.
About Us
www.usw.org