Canada in a Box, Cigar Containers that Store Our Past 1883-1935
Canada in a Box, Cigar Containers that Store Our Past 1883-1935
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Canada in a Box, Cigar Containers that Store Our Past 1883-1935
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Anatomy of a Cigar Box



Labour - Union Label

The Outer Box      Revenue Stamp      Bottom Brand      Sales      Labour      The Inner Box

Cigar makers were among the first workers to unionize in North America, and were among the most militant. In the United States, the Cigar Makers International Union was responsible for the first national wage scale, the first industry-wide 8-hour day, and a union label used in both the U.S. and Canada. The label, applied on the outside of boxes, assured buyers that union-made cigars were of a high quality, made by workers paid a fair wage under decent working conditions.

Not all cigar factories were union shops, so not all boxes carried a CMIU label. Those that did had one of two: the earlier (1880 - 1894) bore the signature of union president A. Strasser, and contained text condemning cigars produced by "inferior rat-shop, COOLIE, PRISON, or FILTHY TENEMENT-HOUSE WORKMANSHIP." A more positive label (1894-1940s), over the signature of president J. W. Perkins, declared that the cigar-makers' union was "devoted to the advancement of the MORAL, MATERIAL, and INTELLECTUAL WELFARE OF THE CRAFT."

 Union label signed by A. Strasser  Union label signed by A. Strasser  Union label signed by A. Strasser  Union label signed by A. Strasser  Union label signed by A. Strasser
 Union label signed by A. Strasser  Union label signed by A. Strasser  Union label signed by A. Strasser  Union label signed by A. Strasser  Union label signed by A. Strasser
Union label signed by A. Strasser, sometimes referred to as the "coolie" label.
Courtesy of Tony Hyman

The Perkins union label The Perkins union label The Perkins union label The Perkins union label The Perkins union label
The Perkins union label The Perkins union label The Perkins union label The Perkins union label The Perkins union label
The Perkins union label, often called the "moral" label.
Courtesy of Tony Hyman


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