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The National Labor Union was created
It was made to convince Congress to limit the workday for federal employees to eight hours. The continual flood of immigrants coming into the country harmed the workforce, and the price of labor declined as a result. -
Knights of Labor Founded
Uriah Stephens forms the Knights of Labor in Philadelphia. Initially a secret society, the Knights organize workers around the country under the radar of management. They are an important force in the early days of labor organizing. -
Gompers Founds AFL
Samuel Gompers sets up the American Federation of Labor (AFL), a collection of trade unions that will play a major role in the labor movement throughout the century to come. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
Congress passes the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Intended to block business monopolies, it would be used effectively by employers against unions. -
IWW Founded
Western miners and other activists form the Industrial Workers of the World at a convention in Chicago. The IWW, or Wobblies, is one of the most radical of all organized labor groups. Though they will achieve only limited success in moving their agenda forward, they will inspire generations of labor activists with their militant spirit. -
Federal Department of Labor Established
The United States Department of Labor is established. Though established under President Taft, he signed the law after his defeat in the 1912 election. The Department mostly emphasized the pro-labor stance of the incoming president, Woodrow Wilson, who appointed a United Mine Workers official as the first Secretary of Labor. -
Clayton Antitrust Act
President Wilson signs the Clayton Act, which exempts unions from the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. In coming years, the new law will prove useless, as courts void many of its union protections -
Taft-Hartley Act
Congress overrides President Truman's veto of the Taft-Hartley bill, a landmark piece of legislation that rolls back many of the advantages labor gained in the 1935 Wagner Act. Many Democrats join with Republican lawmakers to curb the power of unions. -
Kennedy Legalizes Public Employee Unions
An order by President Kennedy allows federal employees to organize, join unions, and bargain collectively with the government. It does not give them the right to strike. The move begins an era of public employee unionization. -
Equal Pay Act
The Equal Pay Act prohibits discrimination in wages on the basis of sex. The result: women's earnings will climb from 62% of men's in 1970 to 80% in 2004.
