Hoodies and crewneck sweatshirts are the cold-weather version of the union T-shirt: locals order them for fall and winter membership drives, outdoor picket and rally gear, steward and e-board gifts, and chapter apparel programs. This guide explains how to plan a union-printed hoodie or sweatshirt order with Kenmar Shirts, a union print shop in the Bronx, New York whose team is represented by RWDSU/UFCW Local 1102. It starts with the question most locals ask first: which garments are union-made or American-made, and which are only union-decorated.
Catalog browsing does not place an order. Availability, decoration method and the finished project price are confirmed for your specific request before ordering, and for delivery outside New York we check the destination and required arrival date with you first.
Discuss your union hoodie order Call (718) 824-3880
Know what “union printed” means on a hoodie
Union-printed decoration
“Union printed” describes who decorates the garment. Your hoodies and sweatshirts are printed by Kenmar’s union shop team in the Bronx, for orders shipped anywhere in the United States. You never supply the union bug: Kenmar prints with our own union bug (RWDSU/UFCW Local 1102), and we add it to your print on request so members can see it. You only send us your local’s logo or artwork.
Union-made or American-made blanks
The blank hoodie itself is a separate question. Most catalog blanks are not union-made or American-made; the specific styles listed below are. If your local requires a union-made or US-made garment, say so up front and we will quote from this group before any artwork work starts. See the union T-shirt order brief for the full three-way distinction.
Union-made and American-made styles Kenmar offers
Every style in this section is labeled union-made or USA-made in the master catalog. These are the right starting point when the garment’s origin is part of the message, and they are the styles competing union apparel shops lead with for good reason: they cost a little more because the people making them are treated the way working people should be.
- Union-made fleece: the Bayside Unisex Union-Made Hooded Sweatshirt (style 2160) and Unisex Union-Made Crewneck Sweatshirt (style 2105). Made by union labor in the USA, then union printed by Kenmar.
- USA-made everyday hoodies: the Bayside USA-Made Hooded Sweatshirt (960), the USA-Made Full-Zip Hooded Sweatshirt (900 and 875), Los Angeles Apparel’s USA-Made Flex Fleece Full-Zip (F97), and the US Blanks USA Made French Terry hoodie (US897).
- Super heavyweight for outdoor work: Bayside’s USA-Made Super Heavy Thermal Lined hoodies (930 pullover, 940 full-zip) and the oversized USA-Made Super Heavy fleece (4000 hooded, 4025 crewneck), built for winter picket lines and outdoor canvassing.
- USA-made hi-visibility: Bayside hi-vis hoodies and crewnecks (3737, 3739, 3790, 3792, 3796) for utility, construction, road and transit locals whose members need compliant visibility gear.
- Women’s USA-made cuts: the Bayside USA-Made Hooded Sweatshirt (7760) and Fleece Crewneck (7702), plus the cropped crewneck (7725).
Standard catalog blanks, accurately labeled
Many locals also order standard blanks, such as Gildan’s Heavy Blend hoodie (18000 family), Hanes Ultimate Cotton (F170, F280), or garment-dyed Comfort Colors fleece. These garments are not union-made or American-made; what makes the finished piece union apparel is Kenmar’s union printing. Some locals mix the two groups: union-made garments for officers and stewards, standard blanks for large giveaway runs. If that matters to your local, tell us and we will price both so you can compare.
Plan sizes for a mixed crew before quoting
Hoodie orders fail on sizing more often than on artwork. Collect each member’s size before requesting a final quote, including tall and women’s sizes where needed, and decide how you will handle late additions. A single size count per style keeps the quote accurate and avoids a second print run for a handful of pieces.
Artwork and placement that works on fleece
The standard union layout is a left-chest print with a larger back print, and it works well on both pullovers and crewnecks. On full-zip hoodies, avoid artwork that crosses the zipper; use a left-chest design and the back instead. Send your local’s logo and artwork as vector art if you have it, and just tell us if you want the Kenmar union bug included and where. Our artwork approval checklist covers formats, placement wording and the proof review in detail.
Copy this union hoodie order brief
Union-made / USA-made required: yes / no
Style (or “please suggest”):
Color(s):
Sizes and quantity per size (include tall / women’s):
Print locations (left chest, back, sleeve):
Ink colors:
Kenmar union bug on the print: yes / no
Artwork attached (vector preferred):
In-hand date and event:
Delivery destination(s) and ZIP:
Budget range per piece (optional):
Check the proof and the quote before approval
You approve a proof showing exact placement and print size, and a quote showing the per-piece price at your quantity, before production starts. If anything on the proof differs from your brief, say so at that stage, not after printing.
Questions or ready to price an order? Email sales@kenmarshirts.com or call (718) 824-3880. Related guides: union-printed T-shirts for locals and chapters, the union promotional products ordering guide, our NYC union print shop page, and bulk union member gifts.