Over a century ago, when the labor movement began to aggressively promote union labeled products to show buyers the difference that trained, skilled and dedicated union workers make in product quality the printing “bug” was already in widespread use. It’s difficult today, if not impossible, to find union labels on clothing, tools, toys and other everyday products, but that’s not true in printing.

For the most part printing continues to be a service done by small, local businesses and it is the label that sets unionized shops in a class above the rest.

If your shop is not “marketing” its label to potential buyers then it isn’t doing all it could do to bring in new business and hold on to the reliable customers it has.

The label adds value to your printed pieces and it proclaims that the work in your shop is done by skilled union members working for good wages under decent conditions as stipulated by a valid collective bargaining agreement.

Proper Use of CWA-PPMWS Bug

No matter what size bug, consistent to the size of the word LABEL add to the right the number assigned by the PPMWS Sector office of CWA HQ.

In the bottom rocker panel add the CITY and STATE where your shop is located. If the local who issues your label is in a different state, place the two letter state abbreviation then the city, state of your shop (i.e., NY-Atlantic City, NJ).

If your shop has no CWA dues-paying members, use of the CWA bug must cease immediately.