Local 2268 of the Textile Workers Union of America had its beginnings in 1934, serving as a bargaining agent for the employees of Coopers, Inc. However, the union was not officially organized until 1937 when it was named Textile Workers of Kenosha, Wisconsin. In 1939, the union was chartered by Textile Workers Union of America and thereby affiliated with the AFL-CIO. In 1976 TWUA merged with the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union to become the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union.
Jockey International started as a division of Coopers, Inc. in 1876 when Samuel T. Cooper established his company in St. Joseph, Michigan. The company moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin in 1900 and began manufacturing men's underwear. Due to the popularity of the Jockey brief introduced and patented in 1935, the company expanded and eventually changed its name to Jockey International in 1972. As the company grew, it added operations across the United States and established international bases and offices. The company's headquarters, however, remained in Kenosha.
Periodic layoffs occurred in the 1980's until the plant moved its operations overseas and closed in 1993. One hundred and thirty people were put out of work with the plant's closing. Eighty-seven of these employees bumped into jobs at the Distribution Center Warehouse in Kenosha, until it too was closed on May 5, 1994 leaving 110 employees jobless.
