International Mailers Union records

The International Mailers’ Union (I.M.U.) was a union of mailer trades. The mailers were a subset of the typographical trade in the 19th century as the printing field began to involve itself with mailed publications, advertisements and other printed materials. After organizing into small, local labor unions, the mailers came into the International Typographical Union between 1873 and 1897.

Munro Roberts was elected as MTDU member of the executive council, (1935–1937) but, he had no voice or vote. After many heated arguments with ITU President Howard and Secretary Randolph, Roberts became committed to a separate mailer union. Moreover, the International Mailers' Union (IMU) was created.

The IMU was officially founded in 1943, becoming its own separate entity in Cincinnati, Ohio in its first convention. The IMU had been successful in adding members to the organization in Washington D.C, Chicago, and Philadelphia. All conflicts, however, were handled with regard to ITU. The IMU in Des Moines had put up a very successful fight against the ITU since the formation of the IMU. A climax was reached when the printers in Des Moines demanded from the publishers that all IMU mailers be discharged, which the publishers could not comply with as the NLRB had ordered an election for March 30th. The ultimatum was made on March 24th and printers, along with a few ITU mailers, went on strike and were out until March 30th. The IMU mailers ended up conceding one point on March 30th, under supervision of NLRB, which allowed the IMU to gain bargaining rights by a vote of 39 to 8.

The IMU achieved many accomplishments during their time as an independent organization. The International Mailer (Newspaper) Official publication happened in its 3rd annual meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. The 4th annual convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, decided to give salary to the president of the IMU so that he can spend more time directing activities of international organization. The convention in Fort Worth, Texas, brought an insurance program. A convention in Des Moines, Iowa, established a defense fund for the first time. The four-year apprentice program the IMU formulated in 1945 became the National Standard of apprentice training for mailers.

According to the officers of IMU’s annual reports, the impact of the economic policy the government placed in 1974 cannot be overlooked. Although the original wage and price freeze was successful for a short time, causing a 2% increase in worker wages and a 3.5% increase in cost of living, it did not last. Suddenly prices raised and wages stayed the same. The IMU lost in 4 year what it had taken 10 years to obtain, prompting the 1978 merger. (Mailer Vol-29-No7.July 1974—Officers annual reports P.15-16)

The IMU finally was merged into the ITU in 1978. The Mailer unions chartered by the ITU were eligible for membership in Allied Printing Trades Councils, but The International Mailers Union was refused membership.