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Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers
Created by Philadelphia's skilled an unskilled workers, such as carpenters, tailors, shoemakers, and small- shop printers. They demanded safe and secure employment. -
United Tailoresses of New York
An organized women's rights union, the Tailoresses of New York protested unfair wages and terrible working conditions. These protests helped bring attention to the inhumane conditions of the textile and clothing industries. -
Mechanics' Union of Trade Association
An anonymous, jailed laborer wrote an article on the terrible conditions of the labor industries, inspiring many publishers to print the article. This sparked protests throughPhiladelphia, calling for shorter work days and no wage reduction. -
New England Association of Farmers, Mechanics, and other Workingmen
AFMW was actively against child labor as it endangers the children and their well-being. -
National Cooperative Association of Cordwainers
The first labor union to specialize in one craft. -
Lowell Female Labor Reform Association
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International Typographical Union
Trade union for the printing trade of newspapers and other types of media. Worked towards shorter work days and a standard wage scale. Because they were in charge of publishing most types of media, the ITU was easily able to sway general opinion in their favor. -
Knights of Labor
Created in 1863, however became more and more popular in the 1880's . -
National Labor Union
A Union of skilled and unskilled workers asked Congress for an eight hour work day and restrictions on immigration in America. This Union was created to pressure Congress into creating labor law reforms. It was not overly supportive of women and black workers, and demanded an end to convict labor. The National Labor Union dissipated due to the Panic of 1873. The recession made work, despite the reduced wages, more important then the idea of fair labor laws. -
American Federation of Labor (AFL)
The American Federation of Labor was the most successful labor union of the Gilded Age. They only accepted skilled workers, and also excluded women and blacks. Instead they believed that there would always be struggle between management and labor, so broad reform was not one of the union's goals. Supported eight hour work day and were led by Samuel Gompers -
United Mine Workers of America
During Theodore Roosevelt's presidency, the UMW went on strike in order to recieve higher wages, recognition of their union, and shorter work days. The Coal Strike of 1902 began on May 12 and ended October 23. Roosevelt had a meeting with the mine owners during the time of the strike in an effort to come to a compromise with no avail, and so he threatened to send in troops to confiscate the mines from the owners and force the miners back to work. The owners rmet all of the UWA's demands. -
American Railway Union
The American Railway Union was the union lead by Eugene Debs and participated in the Pullman Palace Car Strike. Workers who belonged this union during this strike refused to work and operate on Pullman cars. This caused the strike to become more serious and receive more attention. Eventually the military was called into break up the strike. Eugene Debs was arrested and this killed the union. -
Industrial Workers of the World
Promoting the concept of "One Big Union", the IWW was a radical labor union during this time, and was internationally known. The IWW was the most inclusive union during this time. The Wobblies are still together today. -
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Labor union memberships decline
In the 1920s, many labor unions lost a lot of their members due to overall wage increases and employeers that had the means to treat their workers better. In this decade labor union memberships went from 5 million to only 3.4 million -
The AFL endorses Robert LaFollette for President
The American Federation of Labor publically endores Robert LaFollette of the Solcialist party for President. This demonstrates how liberal labor unions are willing to go for worker rights -
Anti -union violence
Textile workers in North Carolina went on strike asking for high wages, fewer hours, and better working conditions. Deputy dheriffs responded by shooting six strikers. In the 1920s when the industrial economy was florishing, low wage workers in the south still struggled. -
AFL prohibits racial discrimination
Even though blacks did not traditionally join labor unions, the American Federation of Labor officially banned racial discrimination. However, labor unions by and large were not as accepting of blacks because they were usually hired as strike-breakers and not trustes. -
National Industrial Reconvery Act
The NIRA created the National Recovery Administration which set codes for evy company that joined NRA. The codes regulated production to prevent over production, prescribed wages, as well as working conditions. Al so, the NRA conformed peoples rights to belong to a labor union and banned blacklisting -
Wagner Act
The Wagner Act or the National Labor Relations Act, granted labor unions collective bargaining rights and prohibited any actions that were anti-union. This caused labor union memberships to skyrocket. -
Founding of the Congress of Industrial Organizations
A division of the AFl broke off to create the Confress of Industrial Organizations which focused on evolving along with the industrial labor force and uniting labor unions. This again gave an incentive for Americans to join labor unions and memberships increased across the board -
Record amount of strikes
During World War Two, FDR had prevented labor unions from striking because it hindered the war production effort. As a result, after the war ended, 1945 and 1946 were years with a record amount of strikes. More than 5 million workers were involved in post war strikes. Some industries that went on strike were film, oil, electrical, and meatpacking -
Taft-Hartley Act
In reaction to the great amount of strikes in 1945 and 46 Congress believed that labor unions were becoming too powerful. The Taft-Hartley Act prohibited "closed shops" and weakened the influence of labor unions in the work force. -
AFL- CIO labor union merger
The long standing labor union the AFL joined with its rival CIO to create the AFL-CIO is was the most influencial union during the civil rights movements and still is today. -
United Farm Workers of America
A merger between AWOC and NFWA, this group led strikes in an effort to work towards workers' rights
