United Mine Workers of America (UMW) is an industrial trade union that represents workers in many of the coal mines and coal-processing industries of the United States. It also has local unions in Canada. The union works to promote safe practices and safety regulation in mining. It is also works to provide health care to miners and their families.
The UMW was organized in Columbus, Ohio, in 1890. The UMW helped form the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in 1935 but withdrew in 1942. In 1989, the UMW joined the AFL-CIO, a labor federation formed by the merging of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the CIO in 1955.
The UMW won fame under John Mitchell in the early 1900’s. John L. Lewis served as union president from 1919 until his retirement in 1960. Under Lewis, the union experienced its greatest growth and obtained many benefits for its members. The UMW has headquarters in Triangle, Virginia.
