Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union, Memphis-Jackson Joint Board records

The Textile Workers Union of America (TWUA) formed in 1939 in an attempt to organize Southern workers who up until then had failed to join the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA). They played a key role in the post-World War II Operation Dixie organizing campaign. While they had some successes, the failed national textile strike of 1934 discouraged Southern union participation and the South remained resistant to unionization. In 1976 the two unions merged to form the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU), which represented textile workers throughout the United States and Canada until 1995 when ACTWU merged with the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) to form the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE).

The Memphis-Jackson Joint Board began as an administrative support unit for the smaller locals within its Southern region. The president of the Joint Board would replace each local's business agent and manage those responsibilities. In actuality the Joint Board served as an extension of ACTWU Local 281 (Bemis, Tennessee), which made up the vast majority of its membership and whose officers frequently served both the joint board and the local office at the same time. The Joint Board operated out of Memphis, Tennessee, until 1986 when the new Georgia-Tennessee-Alabama Joint Board began operating out of Knoxville, Tennessee.

The Memphis-Jackson Joint Board was led by Herbert Mercer until 1978, Percy Long from 1978-1982, and Verner Betts from 1982-1986, with the help of International Union Representative Jimmy Craven. The majority of the Joint Board's work revolved around assisting organizing efforts and grievance procedures as well as corresponding with the international union office. The Joint Board also helped to produce the Local 281 newsletter.