"The nature and power of organized labor in the United States is the outcome of historical tensions among counter-acting forces involving workplace rights, wages, working hours, political expression, labor laws, and other working conditions."
A history of the struggles and achievements of workers and their organizations in the United States, beginning with the colonial era and continuing into the present day.
Industrial Revolution: The period of time in which machines replaced handicraft, marked by the rise of factories and mass production.
Working conditions: The hours, pay, safety, and welfare of workers during the Industrial Revolution.
Marxism: The political philosophy that emphasizes the class struggle between the working class and capitalist owners of industry.
Trade unions: Organizations formed to protect workers' rights and wages, often through collective bargaining with employers.
Knights of Labor: The first nationwide labor organization in America, advocating for the eight-hour workday and equal treatment regardless of race or gender.
American Federation of Labor: A federation of trade unions formed in 1886 that focused on collective bargaining and improving working conditions.
Homestead Strike: A violent labor dispute at Andrew Carnegie's steel plant in Homestead, Pennsylvania, which resulted in the deaths of several workers and Pinkerton detectives.
Pullman Strike: A nationwide work stoppage in 1894 by the American Railway Union protesting wage cuts and higher rents in company housing.
Industrial Workers of the World: A radical labor organization known as the "Wobblies," who advocated for the overthrow of the capitalist system through direct action and sabotage.
New Deal: A series of government programs implemented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to combat the Great Depression, including labor protections and the establishment of the Social Security system.
Taft-Hartley Act: A federal law passed in 1947 that placed restrictions on labor unions' ability to strike and organize, making it more difficult for workers to engage in collective bargaining.
Civil Rights Movement: A movement advocating for equal treatment and opportunities for African Americans, including in the workplace and labor unions.
Feminist Movement: A movement advocating for women's rights, including equal pay and access to leadership roles in the workplace and labor unions.
Labor laws: The set of regulations and protections put in place by the government to protect workers' rights and safety, including minimum wage laws, working hours, and occupational health and safety.
Workers' rights: The basic rights that workers are entitled to, including freedom from discrimination, the right to form unions, and the right to fair pay and benefits.
Knights of Labor: Founded in 1869, they aimed to transform society to a cooperative system where workers owned the means of production. They advocated for an eight-hour workday, the abolition of child labor, and the establishment of monetary reforms.
American Federation of Labor (AFL): Established in 1886, it focused on achieving shorter workdays, higher wages, and safer working conditions. The organization operated through the collective bargaining process, negotiating on behalf of member organizations to secure higher wages and improved working conditions.
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW): Established in 1905, it is a group that focused on uniting all workers across all industries, regardless of race or sex. Members of the IWW advocated for the abolition of wage labor and the establishment of a socialist society.
Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO): Established in 1935, CIO organized industrial unions and led strikes that aimed to secure collective bargaining rights for millions of workers. This led to the establishment of workers rights such as the eight-hour workday, overtime pay, and the minimum wage.
"Organized unions and their umbrella labor federations such as the AFL–CIO and citywide federations have competed, evolved, merged, and split against a backdrop of changing values and priorities, and periodic federal government intervention."
"In most industrial nations, the labor movement sponsored its own political parties, with the US as a conspicuous exception."
"Both major American parties vied for union votes, with the Democratic Party usually much more successful."
"Labor unions became a central element of the New Deal coalition that dominated national politics from the 1930s into the mid-1960s during the Fifth Party System."
"Liberal Republicans who supported unions in the Northeast lost power after 1964."
"In recent decades, an enduring alliance was formed between labor unions and the Democrats."
"The Republican Party has become hostile to unions and collective bargaining rights."
"The history of organized labor has been a specialty of scholars since the 1890s, and has produced a large amount of scholarly literature focused on the structure of organized unions."
"In the 1960s, as social history gained popularity, a new emphasis emerged on the history of workers, including unorganized workers, and with special regard to gender and race."
"This is called 'the new labor history'."
"By most measures, the strength of organized labor has declined in the United States over recent decades."
"The nature and power of organized labor in the United States is the outcome of historical tensions among counter-acting forces involving workplace rights, wages, working hours, political expression, labor laws, and other working conditions."
"Organized unions and their umbrella labor federations such as the AFL–CIO and citywide federations have competed, evolved, merged, and split against a backdrop of changing values and priorities, and periodic federal government intervention."
"Labor unions became a central element of the New Deal coalition that dominated national politics from the 1930s into the mid-1960s during the Fifth Party System."
"Much scholarship has attempted to bring the social history perspectives into the study of organized labor."
"Organized unions and their umbrella labor federations such as the AFL–CIO and citywide federations have competed, evolved, merged, and split against a backdrop of changing values and priorities, and periodic federal government intervention."
"Both major American parties vied for union votes, with the Democratic Party usually much more successful."
"Labor unions became a central element of the New Deal coalition that dominated national politics from the 1930s into the mid-1960s during the Fifth Party System."
"In recent decades, an enduring alliance was formed between labor unions and the Democrats, whereas the Republican Party has become hostile to unions and collective bargaining rights."