International Typographical Union 8 hours

Illustration of an American flag above a blue sky with white clouds over a globe with green, grey and red text on top and an outer yellow edge with black text

The International Typographical Union was founded on May 3, 1852 and is one of the oldest trade unions in the United States, as well as one of the first to allow women members. They fought for better pay and hours for members by leading boycotts and strikes throughout the country, and in 1906, were successful in becoming one of the first unions to win an eight-hour-work day. They were integral in forming both the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions and the Congress of Industrial Organizations and operated successfully well into the 20th century. By 1980, however, membership and activity had declined due to technological advances and fewer opportunities available for typographic workers. In 1987, the ITU merged with the Communications Workers of America and officially ceased to exist as an independent organization.