In 1911, the Central Union Label Council was chartered by the Union Label Trades Department of the American Federation of Labor. Like its parent body which had been established by Samuel Gompers in 1909, the New York City Label Council was dedicated to "a more systematic and thorough agitation and demand for union-made and particularly union label products, and for the patronage of union organizations issuing them." In 1916 the Council sold stock to establish a department store of union label products. After World War II, the increasing number of retail stores carrying union made products greatly increased, promting the Council to close its store in 1947.
In 1949, Harry Avrutin was elected secretary-treasurer of the Union Label and Service Trades Council of Greater New York. He published annual buyer's guides to union-made products, mounted labor management trade shows during "Union Label Week", staged the Miss Union Maid beauty contest, and engaged in other public relations efforts to promote union labor and products. In 1959, the Council expanded its jurisdiction to include Nassau and Suffolk counties.
From the description of Photographs, 1938-1973. 1957-1970 (bulk). (New York University). WorldCat record id: 477248997
