The Evolution of Labor Unions

The working class and the accompanying labor unions have been a part of American society since its beginnings. The first settlers were craftsmen, and unions began to inevitably show up with the development of larger cities in Colonial America. Not only was a carpenter's union partly responsible for the Boston Tea Party, the Continental Congress met in the Carpenter's’ Hall when signing the Declaration of Independence. Toward the end of the 18th century, unions began striking in hopes of shorter hours and better pay. In the years to come, unions would be increasingly active in improving conditions for workers who would otherwise have no influence over the conditions of their employment.

In the 1830s, as industrialization began to take hold in America, workers moved increasingly to cities and took jobs created by new processes and machinery. As the factory system grew rapidly, it caused many workers to live in poverty as the factory owners amassed large sums of wealth. Recognizing that they were effectively powerless against their wealthy bosses, workers increasingly joined unions in the hope of standing up against working conditions.

In larger cities, the unions often joined to form federations. Founded in 1866, one such federation was the National Labor Union (NLU). While it was briefly successful, even convincing Congress to mandate an eight hour day for workers, it was dissolved in the subsequent depression of 1873.

The next attempt to create a lasting change was by the Knights of Labor, founded in 1869 and composed of both skilled and unskilled workers of both genders and races. The Knights of Labor accumulated a large membership but was hopelessly split between skilled and unskilled workers, and thus it struggled to harness the full power of its membership. The leader, Terence Powderly, failed to maintain control over the members, and he was unsuccessful at preventing violent strikes and riots such as the Haymarket Square rally. Already facing internal issues, the Knights of Labor eventually disbanded after allegations of members throwing a bomb at police officers damaged its reputation beyond repair.

Some members then joined a different organization, The American Federation of Labor (AFL) , which was founded in 1886 by Samuel Gompers. He believed that the issues with labor unions lay in their ineffective 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."

(AFL Constitution)

The AFL organized only skilled workers and focused specifically on promoting higher wages and shorter hours. Gompers believed that these were the steps necessary to begin improving the lives of the working class; the AFL was supposed to avoid any political or social affiliations that were not directly related to their cause.

In 1903, the open shop movement succeeded in driving unions out of various industries by not requiring employees to be a member of a union. Court rulings against strikes were often issued by judges at the request of corporations, and they became an important weapon against unions and strikes. However, even though strikes were illegal, there were various demonstrations over issues such as the Triangle Shirtwaist fire and the textile mill pay cuts. As a result, Congress created the U.S. Department of Labor and a Children’s Bureau, intended to better the rights of workers. Additionally, the Clayton Act of 1914 made clear that “the labor of a human being is not a commodity or article of commerce.” Hailed as a “magna carta” by Gompers, this act negated the legal basis being used against strikes and allowed for peaceful protest.

Union membership decreased after World War I because of the post-war economic depression and attempts by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and other similar groups to wipe out unions. These anti-union groups used American fear of the communist revolution to make unions seem “un-American.” Workers were forced to sign a “yellow dog contract” that prevented them from joining a union if they wanted to get a job.

In 1935, John Lewis created the Committee for Industrial Organization (CIO). It was composed of various AFL leaders and at the time, it was still a part of the AFL. However, his constant verbal attacks on the AFL council caused him and the CIO unions to be expelled a year later. By 1938, the CIO held its own constitutional convention and became a separate organization. Initially rivals, the AFL and CIO began working together during World War II to solve problems that affected all workers in America. Over time, their disagreements died out and they were reunited as AFL-CIO in 1955. This new union’s priority was to organize workers in areas where they were not represented and reach out to employees whose companies had previously prohibited unions. 

Labor unions are not as prevalent today as they were during earlier years. Many employers are again prohibiting unions, but another reason is that workers are increasingly providing a secondary source of income for their family and willing to accept lower wages. Unions have also raised the price of union-made products because of their workers higher demands, so that sales are lost to cheaper manufacturers and union workers lose their jobs. Recent shifts towards technology and white collar jobs have also led to decreasing numbers of laborers who want union membership. However, unions like the AFL-CIO, which began earlier in American history, still exist today, proving the importance of the union movement and the rights of the working class.

http://www.history.com/topics/labor
http://www2.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/history_of_labor_unions.html
http://www.ilwu19.com/history/labor.htm