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Samuel Gompers
Samuel Gompers was an American Labor Union leader and the founder of AFL. . He also promoted organization and bargaining to secure shorter hours and higher wages, which he believed were the first necessary steps to emancipate labor. -
13th Amendment
The 13th amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States, except as punishment for a crime. But factors like Black Codes, white supremacy, and selective enforcement of statutes continued to subject some black Americans to involuntary servitude, especially in the south -
National Labor Union
The national Labor Union, founded in 1866 and dissolved in 1873, was the first national labor federation in the United Sates. It paved the way for other union organizations, like Knights of Labor and the AFL. -
Haymarket riot
The Haymarket Riot was the aftermath of a bombing that took place at a labor demonstration. It began as a peaceful rally in support of workers striking for 8 hour days and ended Ina devastating disaster.
The Haymarket affair is generally considered significant as the origin of international May Day -
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was a national federation of labor in the United States. It was founded by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the knights of labor. -
Shirtwaist Factory Fire
The triangle shirtwaist factory fire in Manhattan, New York was one of the deadliest in the history of the United States. The fire killed 146 garment workers, most of whom were immigrants. -
The Wagner Act
The Wagner act, formally named the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, is a United States labor law which guarantees basic rights of private sector employees to organize into trade unions, partake in bargaining for better working terms and conditions, and take collective action including strike if necessary. The act also created the National Labor Relations Board, which has elections that can require employers to engage in collective bargaining with labor unions -
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938
Also referred to as the wages and hours bill, the fair labor standards act of 1938 established a minimum wage, guaranteed extra payment for overtime, and outlawed certain employment of minors. President Franklin Roosevelt called it the most important piece of new deal legislation since the social security act of 1935 -
Taft-Hartley
The Taft-Hartley act, sponsored by Senator Robert A. Taft and Representative Fred A. Hartley, was dwsigned to amend much of the Wagner act. The act, still effective today, restricts the activities and power of labor unions. Labor leaders called it the
"slave-labor act" and President Truman argued that it was a "dangerous intrusion of free speech" -
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Steel Strike of 1959
the steel strike of 1959 was a labor union strike by the United Steelworkers of America against major steel-making companies. The strike was caused due to management's demand that the union give up a contract, the loss of which would result in reduced hours for a number of employees. When the issue was finally resolved, the union retained the contract and won a minimal wage increase. But regardless of the outcome the strike still devastated the American steel industry.
