Laborers' International Union of North America history

Nine years later, in 1912, the IHC and BLC experiences two name changes.

In 1929, the union expanded to include the Tunnel and Subway Contractors’ International Union.

However, the first issue of The Laborer was not published until June 1947.

The purpose of the committee was to ensure that union members could take advantage of the jobs created by the Interstate Highway Act of 1954.

Also, in 1955, the union helped establish the National Joint Heavy and Highway Construction Committee.

Also, in 1955, the union helped establish the National Joint Heavy and Highway Construction Committee. For example, in 1956, laborers in Pittsburg were able to form pension plans.

In 1965, the union was renamed the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA). A year later, LIUNA created the Laborers’ Political League in order to both influence politics and encourage its members to participate in the political process.

In 1968, the union expanded to include over 60,000 new workers from the National Association of Post Office Mail Handlers, Watchmen, Messengers and Group Leaders.

For instance, in 1971, LIUNA’s Laborers – Associated General Contractors Fund completed a film and held its first national training conference.

In addition, LIUNA helped hospital workers organize under the AFL-CIO’s Public Employee Department in 1974.

In 1976, LIUNA began training women to work in construction with funds from the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act.

However, there were some successes for LIUNA. In 1981, LIUNA locals in New York sought to improve their benefits by offering drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs.

In 1988, LIUNA established the Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America, which was a co-venture between labor and management to help improved health and safety for workers.

By 1994, the United States Department of Labor had recognized construction as an apprenticeable occupation, which allowed LIUNA to establish its own apprenticeship program.

In 1998, LIUNA created its Public Employee Department.

In 2001, members of the LIUNA participated in the clean up at Ground Zero in New York following the September 11 terrorist attacks.

In 2003, the same year the Laborers' Union celebrated its 100th anniversary, it also spearheaded the creation of its first construction charter school.

On June 1, 2006, O'Sullivan announced that LIUNA had disaffiliated from the AFL-CIO and joined the Change to Win Federation.

However, LIUNA officials said on August 13, 2010, that the union would leave Change to Win and rejoin the AFL-CIO in October 2010.

At the 2011 convention, LIUNA passed several resolutions to help invest in political activism through the organization’s Political Action Committee (PAC).