▁organization ▁adopted ▁the ▁name ▁Coast ▁S ail or ' s ▁Union ▁and ▁elected ▁George ▁Thompson ▁its ▁first ▁president . ▁Andrew ▁Fur us eth , ▁who ▁had ▁joined ▁the ▁union ▁on ▁June ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 8 8 5 ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁its ▁highest ▁office ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 8 8 7 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁sea ▁but ▁was ▁re elect ed ▁to ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁union ▁secretary ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 1 . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁during ▁this ▁term ▁on ▁July ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 8 9 1 ▁that ▁Fur us eth ▁merged ▁the ▁Coast ▁Se amen ' s ▁Union ▁with ▁the ▁Ste am ship ▁S ail or ' s ▁Union ▁with ▁the ▁new ▁organization ▁named ▁the ▁S ail ors ' ▁Union ▁of ▁the ▁Pacific . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁a ▁two - year ▁period ▁when ▁he ▁sh ipped ▁out ▁as ▁a ▁fish erman , ▁he ▁was ▁secretary ▁of ▁the ▁S UP ▁until ▁ 1 9 3 5 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 8 , ▁Fur us eth ▁also ▁became ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁International ▁Se amen ' s ▁Union ▁and ▁served ▁in ▁that ▁office ▁until ▁ 1 9 3 8 . ▁ ▁During ▁this ▁period , ▁he ▁successfully ▁pushed ▁for ▁legisl ative ▁re forms ▁that ▁eventually ▁became ▁the ▁Se amen ' s ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 5 . ▁ ▁S UP ▁is ▁an ▁affili ate ▁union ▁of ▁Se af ar ers ▁International ▁Union ▁of ▁North ▁America . ▁