Mid to late 20th century, synthetic fabric

The United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE) formed in 1936 in the United States. It was the first new union to affiliate with the Congress of Industrial Workers (CIO). UE chartered its first Canadian Local in the spring of 1937 in Hamilton, Ontario, when it organized Westinghouse workers.

The UE considered Canada as its own district, allowing it to elect a vice-president to the union. It also played a large role in the merger of the All-Canadian Congress of Labour and the CIO. The two merged in 1940 to form the Canadian Congress of Labour (CCL). By 1949, the UE was no longer a part of the CCL. In 1972, the UE affiliated with the Canadian Labour Congress. In 1992, the UE merged with Canadian Auto Workers. The Canadian Auto Workers union (CAW) and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP) came together in 2013 to form UNIFOR.