Cigar Makers International Union

In 1864, delegates from local cigar makers' unions in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and a number of other cities met in New York to form the Cigar Makers National Union of the United States; only hand cigar makers were allowed to join the union. At this meeting, Andrew Zeitler was elected the union's first president. Cigar makers had organized locally as early as 1845 in Cincinnati, but no national organization had been attempted. The union became international in 1867 when a number of Canadian locals affiliated with it; it was subsequently renamed the Cigar Makers International Union of America (CMIUA).

In 1869, a group of disgruntled cigar makers led by Adolph Strasser formed a new union, the United Cigar Makers of New York (UCMNY). Their union admitted all cigar makers, whether their product was made entirely by hand of fashioned wit the assistance of a mold. In 1875, CMIUA President George Hurst called for a joint meeting of the two groups in the first issue of the Cigar Makers Oficial Journal. At this meeting; the UCMNY affiliated with the CMIUA and was designated Local 144; its president was Samuel Gompers, and the financial secretary was Adolph Strasser.

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