The Origins and Evolution of the American Labor Movement

The Development of the Modern American Trade Union Movement

The modern American trade union movement began with the election of Samuel Gompers as president and Peter J. McGuire as secretary. Born in 1850, Gompers immigrated to America from the Jewish slums of London as a boy. He entered the cigar-making trade, where he received much of his education as a "reader"—a worker who read books, newspaper stories, poetry, and magazine articles to fellow employees to help break the monotony of their work. He eventually became a leader of his local union and the national Cigar Makers Union.

The Founding Principles of the AFL

A statement by the founders of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) expressed their belief in the need for more effective union organization:

"The various trades have been affected by the introduction of machinery, the subdivision of labor, the use of women's and children's labor, and the lack of an apprentice system—so that the skilled trades were rapidly sinking to the level of pauper labor. To protect the skilled labor of America from being reduced to beggary and to sustain the standard of American workmanship and skill, the trades unions of America have been established."

Advocacy for Women in the Workforce

The leadership of the early labor movement recognized that unions could not succeed with a "men only" philosophy. In 1882, the Federation extended representation to all women's labor organizations on an equal footing. In 1894, the AFL convention adopted a resolution stating:

• Women should be organized into trade unions to scientifically and permanently abolish the evils of their unorganized state.
• The AFL demanded that women receive equal compensation with men for equal services performed.

The AFL and the Era of Industrial Struggle

The new AFL, with 300,000 members across 25 unions, emerged during a time of significant discord. In 1886, railroad workers in the Southwest engaged in a losing strike against the properties of Jay Gould, a prominent "robber baron" of the post-Civil War period. On May 1, 1886, approximately 200,000 workers struck to achieve the 8-hour workday.

Highlights of Conflict

The Industrial Workers of the World (The Wobblies)

The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) was the first American union to demonstrate true class consciousness. Influenced by European socialist ideas, the IWW was significant at the turn of the century as it complemented the AFL, though it struggled with excluding a majority of workers. Eugene Debs played a pivotal role in the foundation of the Socialist Party during this era.

The Progressive Movement

By the end of the 19th century, a new political movement emerged to mitigate conflict between workers and industrialists. This middle-class movement, known as the Progressive Movement, sought to regulate business practices and curb the influence of corporate power in the United States.