Printers in early America were the first craftspeople to form Local Unions and formed one of the first International Unions in the United States in 1852 called the International Typographical Union, originally named National Typographical Union. Technological advancements in printing influenced its Unions so much over the next 60 years that many workers broke away from the ITU into five printing unions that represented workers in different job classifications, Pressmen, Bookbinders, Lithographers, and also the obsolete job descriptions of Photoengravers, and Stereotypers with Electrotypers. From the early 1900's until the 1960's all six printing unions thrived. The mergers began with Platemakers, Photoengravers, Stereotypers and Electrotypers and then Lithographers, Pressmen and Bookbinders. The ITU broke up into the Teamsters and the Communication Workers of America. All of the printing unions were together by 1983 and their Union the Graphic Communications International Union had its International Offices in Washington, D.C. in the building that had belonged to the Bookbinders Union originally. In 2005, after printing technology going digital required a merger to keep Strength and Stability in the Union the GCIU merged with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The Printers had their own segment within the Teamsters, called the Graphic Communications Conference. In a surprising move the Teamsters newly elected leadership asked to end the Merger Document in place with the printers as of December 31st, 2022. As part of the agreement in place that says problems can be addressed through Arbitration, an Arbitration ensued. Then the  Printers left the Teamsters and created a brand new International Union named the Printing, Packaging and Production Workers Union of North America. Printers need to have Union Leaders that understand the complicated Technology that creates the printed product, it takes specialized language in the Collective Bargaining Agreements and our Leaders are Printers! Our Local Union is happy that we can remain in a Union that understands the needs of Printers and beyond in the fields of Packaging and Production in Manufacturing!