UNITE HERE is a North American labor union that represents workers in the clothing, hotel, restaurant, and food service industries. The organization seeks to improve working conditions, wages, and benefits for workers throughout the United States and Canada. Its headquarters are in New York City. UNITE HERE is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).
Members of UNITE HERE work in textile mills; in laundries and dry cleaning shops; in retail stores; at airport concession stands; and in motels, hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, casinos, and bars. The majority of UNITE HERE’s members are women. For membership, see Labor movement (table) .
UNITE HERE was formed in 2004 by a merger of two unions: the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE) and the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union (HERE). UNITE had been formed in 1995 by a merger between the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union and the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union. HERE was established by members of cooks’ and waiters’ unions in 1891. In 2005, UNITE HERE broke away from the AFL-CIO and became affiliated with the Change to Win labor federation. In 2009, internal fighting between the hotel workers and the garment workers led to a new union, Workers United, made up of former UNITE HERE members. Workers United became affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). UNITE HERE became affiliated with the AFL-CIO again in September 2009. In 2010, the SEIU and UNITE HERE reached an agreement that divided their jurisdiction (areas of authority) and assets (property and money).
