-
Good Light For Unions
AFL and National Civic Federation promote trade agreements with employers
U.S. Industrial Commission declares trade unions good for democracy. -
Period: to
The Progressive Era
-
Strike Put Down
Anthracite strike arbitrated after President Theodore Roosevelt intervenes -
Women’s Trade Union League formed at AFL convention
Women’s Trade Union League formed at AFL convention -
Industrial Workers of the World Foudned
-
"Uprising of the 20,000"
“Uprising of the 20,000” female shirtwaist makers in New York strike against sweatshop conditions
Unorganized immigrant steel workers strike in McKees Rocks, Pa. and win all demands -
Trainge Shirtwaist Factory Fire
Triangle Shirtwaist factory in fire in New York kills nearly 150 workers -
Bread and Roses Strike
Bread and Roses strike begun by immigrant women in Lawrence, Mass., ended with 23,000 men and women and children on strike and with as many as 20,000 on the picket line -
Bill creating Department of Labor passes
-
First Secretary of Labor Appointed
Woodrow Wilson takes office as president and appoints the first secretary of labor, William B. Wilson of the Mine Workers -
Ludlow Massacre
Ludlow Massacre of 13 women and children and seven men in Colorado coal miners’ strike -
Leadership of Industrial Workers of the World sentenced to federal prison on charges of disloyalty to the United States
Leadership of Industrial Workers of the World sentenced to federal prison on charges of disloyalty to the United States -
Massive Strikes
One of every five workers walked out in great strike wave, including national clothing coal and steel strikes; a general strike in Seattle; and a police strike in Boston
International Labor Organization founded in France -
Women's Suffrage
-
Period: to
Repression and Depression
-
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
A. Philip Randolph helps create the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters -
Railway Labor Act
Railway Labor Act sets up procedures to settle railway labor disputes and forbids discrimination against union members -
Great Depression Begins
-
Davis-Bacon Act
Davis-Bacon Act provides for prevailing wages on publicly funded construction projects -
Norris-LaGuardia Act
Norris-LaGuardia Act prohibits federal injunctions in most labor disputes -
New Deal
President Franklin Roosevelt proposes New Deal programs to Congress -
Upsurge in strikes
Upsurge in strikes, including national textile strike, which fails -
Period: to
Democratizing America
-
National LAbor Relations and Social Security Act
-
Non-Partisan League
AFL and CIO creatre labor's Non-Partisan League and help President Roosevelt win re-election to a second erm -
Auto Workers Win Strike
Auto Workers win sit-down strike against General Motors in Flint, Mich. -
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
Brotherhood of sleeping Car Porter wins contract with Pullman Co. -
Fair Labor Standards Act
Fair Labor Standards Act establishes first minimum wahe and 40-hour week -
Congress of Industrial Organizatoins
Congress of industrial ORganizatons forms as an independent federation -
New CIO President
John L. Lewis resigns and Philip Murray becomes CIO president -
March on Washington Threat
A. Philip Randolph threatens march on Washington to protest racial discrimination in defese jobs -
World War II Starts
-
Natinal War Labor Board created with union members
-
Political Action Committee
CIO forms first political action committee to get out the union vote for President Roosevelt -
Largest strike wave in U.S. history
-
Period: to
The Fight For Economic and Social Justice
-
Taft-Hartley Act
Taft-Hartley restricts union members' activities -
Communist leaders purged
First two of eleven unions with Communist leaders are purged from CIO -
New AFL and CIO presidents
William Green and Philip Murray die; George Meany and Walter Reuther become presidents of AFL and CIO, respectively -
AFL and CIO merge
AFL and CIO merge; George Meany becomes president -
AFL-CIO Corruption
AFL-CIO expels two affiliates for corruption -
Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act
Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (Landrum-Griffin) passed -
Right to Bargain
President John Kennedy's order gives federal workers the right to bargain -
March on Washington for jobs and Justice
March on Washington for jobs and Justice -
Equal Pay Act
Equal Pay Act bans wage discrimination based on gender -
Civil Rights Act
Civil Rights Act bans institutional forms of racial discrimination -
AFL-CIO forms A. Philip Randolph Institute
AFL-CIO forms A. Philip Randolph Institute -
United Farm Workers Organizing Committee
César Chávez forms AFL-CIO United Farm Workers Organizing Committee -
Dr. Martin Luther King assassinated
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., during sanitation workers' strike -
Occupational Safety and Health Act passed
Occupational Safety and Health Act passed -
Period: to
Progress and New Challenges
-
Coalition of Black Trade Unionists formed
Coalition of Black Trade Unionists formed -
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement founded
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement founded -
Coalition of Labor Union Women founded
Coalition of Labor Union Women founded -
Lane Kirkland elected president of AFL-CIO
Lane Kirkland elected president of AFL-CIO -
President Reagan breaks air traffic controllers’s strike
President Reagan breaks air traffic controllers’s strike -
AFL-CIO rallies 400,000 in Washington on Solidarity Day
AFL-CIO rallies 400,000 in Washington on Solidarity Day -
Organizing Institute created
Organizing Institute created -
United Mine Workers of America win strike against Pittston Coal
United Mine Workers of America win strike against Pittston Coal -
United Steelworkers of America labor Alliance
United Steelworkers of America labor Alliance created within the AFL-CIO -
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance created within AFL-CIO
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance created within AFL-CIO -
Thomas Donahue nterim head of AFL- CIO
Thomas Donahue replaces Lane Kirkland as interim head of AFL-CIO -
John Sweeney president of AFL-CIO
John Sweeney president of AFL-CIO -
'Fast Track trade legislation defeated
AFL-CIO defeats legislation giving the president the ability to “Fast Track’ trade legislation without assured protection of workers’ rights and the environment -
Pride At Work becomes a legal union
Pride at Work, a national coalition of lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender workers and their supporters, becomes an AFL-CIO constituency group AFL-CIO membership renewed growth -
Human Service Workers Unionized
More than 75,000 human service workers are unionized in Los Angeles County -
Family Activists take to Seattle Streets
30,000 to 50,000 working family activists take to Seattle streets to tell the World Trade Organization and its allies, “If the Global Economy Doesn’t Work for Working Families, It Doesn’t Work” -
NC textile workers gain union
5,000 North Carolina textile workers gain a union after a 25-year struggle -
65,000 Puerto Rico public-sector workers join unions
65,000 Puerto Rico public-sector workers join unions -
Campaign for Global Fairness
Broad Campaign for Global Fairness pushes for economic and social justice worldwide -
Union movement organizes biggest program of grassroots electoral politics ever
Union movement organizes biggest program of grassroots electoral politics ever -
Call for immigration law reform
AFL-CIO Executive Council calls for reform in the nation’s immigration laws for undocumented workers. -
Women now are two-thirds of new union members in the U.S
Women now are two-thirds of new union members in the U.S -
U.S. permanent normal trade relations with China
30,000 union members and activists rally against the United States granting permanent normal trade relations with China. -
Period: to
Current Times
-
4,200 technical and administrative employees of Boeing in Kansas join the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA).
4,200 technical and administrative employees of Boeing in Kansas join the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA). -
Unions lead get out the vote effort
Unions lead a massive grassroots get-out-the-vote effort, with 100,000 volunteers distributing more than 14 million leaflets at union worksites and calling 8 million union members—ultimately more than 26 million voters in union households went to the polls. -
Protest of the Free Trade Area of the Americas
40,000 union activists and allies protest the Free Trade Area of the Americas in Quebec City, Canada, the largest anti-globalization mobilization to date. -
AFL-CIO launches Alliance for Retired Americans to recruit activists and mobilize older Americans.
AFL-CIO launches Alliance for Retired Americans to recruit activists and mobilize older Americans. -
9.11
Thousands of union members sacrifice their lives and health, and volunteer their time to respond to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon outside of Washington, D.C. Labor unions join with community allies to enact “living wage” ordinances in 76 communities across the nation -
IUC
The AFL-CIO forms the Industrial Union Council (IUC) to revitalize manufacturing, combat destructive international trade agreements, and defend workers’ rights. -
Bush strips collective bargaining rights
President Bush pledges to strip collective bargaining rights from 170,000 civil servants in the new Transportation Security Administration and denies bargaining rights to airport-security screening personnel. -
Helmets to Hardhats
The AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department launches the Helmets to Hardhats program to connect National Guard, Reserve and transitioning active-duty military members with quality career training and employment opportunities in construction. -
Working Families presidential Forum
The AFL-CIO holds a nationally televised Working Families Presidential Forum in which all nine Democratic Presidential candidates take part. -
AFL-CIO Est. Working America
The AFL-CIO establishes Working America to reach out to non-union members and mobilize workers through door-to-door canvassing in neighborhoods. -
Employee Free Choice Act
The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) is introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. George Miller and in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Edward Kennedy. -
American Rights at Work
American Rights at Work, a national non-profit advocacy group, is founded to promote the freedom of workers to join unions and bargain collectively. -
National Labor College receives full accreditation
The National Labor College (NLC) receives full accreditation from the Middle State Higher Education Commission, enabling it to grant bachelor’s and master’s degrees. -
The Coalition for Labor Union Women (CLUW) celebrates its 30th anniversary.
The Coalition for Labor Union Women (CLUW) celebrates its 30th anniversary. -
Get-out -the wote effort
As part of the election year get-out-the-vote effort, some 225,000 union volunteers knock on millions of doors, make 10 million phone calls, and distribute 32 million leaflets. -
Employee Free Choice Act reintroduced and wins support
The Employee Free Choice Act is reintroduced into the U.S. Congress as bipartisan legislation, winning support from 182 House members and 37 Senate co-sponsors by June 2005 -
Change to Win holds its founding convention in St. Louis,
Change to Win holds its founding convention in St. Louis, created among seven unions previously members of the AFL-CIO. -
AFL-CIO and NDLON form a partnership
The AFL-CIO and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) form a partnership to collaborate with local worker centers on immigration reform and other issues. -
AFl-CIO and IWG est partnership
The AFL-CIO and the Interfaith Worker Justice (IWG) board establish a new partnership to strengthen labor-religious ties and advance the core principles of social justice in the workplace. -
Enormous get out the vote effort
During the 2006 elections, 205,000 union volunteers knock on millions of union members’ doors, make 30 million telephone calls in 32 targeted states and distribute 14 million leaflets in workplaces, with Democrats ultimately winning a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and achieving a 51-vote progressive majority in the U.S. Senate. -
Blue Green Alliance
The United Steelworkers Union (USW) and the Sierra Club launch the Blue Green Alliance, a labor-environmental coalition to expand the number and quality of jobs in the clean energy economy. -
Employee Free Choice Act passed
The U.S. House of Representatives passes the Employee Free Choice Act with a vote of 241-185. -
Republicans in the U.S. Senate block consideration of the Employee Free Choice Act.
Republicans in the U.S. Senate block consideration of the Employee Free Choice Act. -
New AFL-CIO VP
Following the retirement of Linda Chavez-Thompson, the AFL-CIO Executive Council unanimously elects Arlene Holt Baker as AFL-CIO Executive Vice President. -
AFL-CIO hold presidiential debate
The AFL-CIO holds a presidential debate at Soldier Field in Chicago where 18,000 union members and their families turn out to see seven Democratic candidates debate. -
industrial Union Council led delegation in United Nations Climate Change
The Industrial Union Council led a delegation of 21 North American union leaders to participate in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) in Bali, Indonesia. -
The AFL-CIO establishes the Union Veterans Council.
The AFL-CIO establishes the Union Veterans Council. -
The United Steel Workers union (USW) joins with unions in Britain, Ireland, Canada, and the Caribbean to form the global union, Workers Uniting.
The United Steel Workers union (USW) joins with unions in Britain, Ireland, Canada, and the Caribbean to form the global union, Workers Uniting. -
The AFL-CIO endorses Sen. Barack Obama for U.S. President.
The AFL-CIO endorses Sen. Barack Obama for U.S. President. -
Appearing at a steelworkers convention, then AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka delivers a widely acclaimed speech that directly addresses the issue of racism in the 2008 election.
Appearing at a steelworkers convention, then AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka delivers a widely acclaimed speech that directly addresses the issue of racism in the 2008 election. -
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
Shortly after his inauguration, President Obama signs the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which restored the rights of working women to sue over pay discrimination. -
Signatures collected in support of Employee Free Choice Act
Union members and allies deliver some of the 1.5 million signatures collected in support of the Employee Free Choice Act. -
The U.S. Department of Labor reported that union density in the U.S. had grown over the previous two years, with a net gain of 759,000 members in 2007 and 2008.
The U.S. Department of Labor reported that union density in the U.S. had grown over the previous two years, with a net gain of 759,000 members in 2007 and 2008. -
Center for green Jobs
The AFL-CIO Working for America Institute creates the Center for Green Jobs to assist affiliates in applying for millions of dollars in grants in clean energy skill training projects.