“Outside the Pale” of Professionalism:

Abstract

1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East currently has over 400,000 members.¹ This union began as the Pharmacists Union of Greater New York, founded in 1932 by Leon Davis. This paper analyzes the first decade of the development of the union, encompassing its emergence as an independent union (1932-1936), its affiliation with the American Federation of Labor (1936-1937), and its growth within the Congress of Industrial Organizations prior to America’s involvement in the Second World War (1937-1941). The union overcame opposition from professional associations and internal factional divisions to effectively organize pharmacists in New York City.²