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Samuel Gompers
Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor (AFL), and served as that organization's president from 1886 to 1894 and from 1895 until his death in 1924. -
Eugene V. Debs
He was an American union leader, one of the founding members of the Industrial Workers of the World, And, several times the candidate of the Socialist Party of America for President of the United States. -
Emma Goldman
She was an anarchist known for her political activism, writing, and speeches. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the twentieth century. -
AFL
One of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio in May 1886 by an alliance of craft unions -
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
This was the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the city of New York and resulted in the fourth highest loss of life from an industrial accident in U.S. history -
Ludlow Massacre
The massacre resulted in the violent deaths of between 19 and 25 people; sources vary but all sources include two women and eleven children, asphyxiated and burned to death under a single tent. The deaths occurred after a daylong fight between militia and camp guards against striking workers -
WW1 (world War One)
This was a global war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. It was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until the start of World War II in 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter -
Clayton Act
This was brought up by the United States to add further substance to the U.S. antitrust law regime by seeking to prevent anticompetitive practices in their incipiency. -
Adamson Act
President Woodrow Wilson, having authority granted by the Army Appropriations Act of 1916, took over operation of the railroads on December 26, 1917 -
International Ladies Garmet Workers Union
This was once one of the largest labor unions in the United States, one of the first U.S. unions to have a primarily female membership, and a key player in the labor history of the 1920s and 1930s. -
International Workers of the World
At its peak in 1923, the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. -
Great Depression
This was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in 1930 and lasted until the late 1930s. -
Yellow-Dog Contract
This is an agreement between an employer and an employee in which the employee agrees, as a condition of employment, not to be a member of a labor union. In 1932, yellow-dog contracts were outlawed in the United States under the Norris-LaGuardia Act. -
Davis- Bacon Act
This is a United States federal law that establishes the requirement for paying the local prevailing wages on public works projects. -
Norris-LaGuardia Act
This was a 1932 United States federal law that banned yellow-dog contracts, barred the federal courts from issuing injunctions against nonviolent labor disputes, and created a positive right of noninterference by employers against workers joining trade unions. -
Wagner Act
This was created by Congress to protect workers' right to unionization. The National Labor Relations Board was created to enforce the National Labor Relations Act -
Closed Shop
This is a form of union security agreement under which the employer agrees to hire union members only, and employees must remain members of the union at all times in order to remain employed. -
Congress Of Industrial Organizations
Founded by eight international unions belonging to the American Federation of Labor. The CIO said it had formed to encourage the AFL to organize workers in mass production industries along industrial union lines. -
Fair Labor Standards Act
The FLSA introduced a maximum 44-hour seven-day workweek, Established a national minimum wage, Guaranteed "time-and-a-half" for overtime in certain jobs, and prohibited most employment of minors in "oppressive child labor." -
Department Of Labor
World War II forced the integration of the newer unions into the war effort and forced business into working out accommodations with the unions for the duration. -
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into voluntarily by two or more parties -
Minimum Wage
This is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers -
Mother Jones
This is a politically left-wing, American magazine, featuring investigative and breaking news reporting on politics, the environment, human rights, and culture -
Open Shop
This is a place of employment at which one is not required to join or financially support a union (closed shop) as a condition of hiring or continued employment. Open shop is also known as a merit shop. -
Collective Bargaining
This is a process of negotiations between employers and a group of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions. The interests of the employees are commonly presented by representatives of a trade union to which the employees belong.
