The presence of the acidic, metal salt curing agents in these adhesive compositions has been shown to be effective in decreasing the water sensitivity of the adhesive derived therefrom. Thus, while the presence of hydrophillic emulsifiers in polyvinyl acetate emulsions ordinarily has adverse effects upon the water resistance of the adhesives ultimately derived from the polymer emulsion containing these materials, the adhesives resulting from the products of this invention are found, in contrast, to surprisingly retain their excellent adhesive properties and physical structure even after prolonged exposure to moisture.