Discover Unions

The English Speaking Union was founded in 1920 as a partnership between the United States and Britain in order to solidify ties between the nations. In doing so, the organization hoped to preserve global post-War peace. In recent years, the English Speaking Union has added tutorials in order to help immigrants adjust to American life. The English in Action program offers one-on-one tutoring services, which are bolstered by movie screenings, talks about cultural assimilation, support groups and other such services. Combining the artful side of English with its more practical aspects, this non-profit organization enables visitors to unlock the power of language. When I stopped in their Manhattan headquarters, I found a few people on their way out the door to the New York rendition of a national Shakespeare competition for high school students, housed in the beautifully grand New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue. Those students who do make the national finals, next compete at Lincoln Center for a scholarship to travel to England where they will study the Bard. This and other programs at the Union focus on the beauty of the English language and its ability to inspire.

Any building that features glass or molding in the hallways, or has been painted, has likely been worked on by the members of the District Council 9 International Union of Painters and Allied Trade, which calls 45 West 14th Street home. Members of this union are involved in the finishing side of construction -- glasswork, decorative painting, metal polishing, and the fabrication of signs and awnings among other trades. The building received a facelift in 1960. The facade was redone with a series of repeating small brass arches on each level above the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, which manages to defy stylistic definition.

A non-profit financial institution that provides small business and personal loans, food stamps, family health plans and more to its members.