The History of Labor and the Union

  • National Labor Union

    National Labor Union
    Founded in 1866 & dissolved is 1873 was the first national labor federation in the U.S. It paved the way for other organizations like Knights of Labor and AFL.
  • Knights of Labor

    Knights of Labor
    Founded in 1869, one of the largest and most important American Labor Organizations of the 1880s. They promoted social and cultural uplift of the working man, rejected socialism and anarchism, demanded 8hr days and promoted producers ethic of republicanism.
  • First Labor Daycare

    First Labor Daycare
    Celebration of first Labor Day was NYC in accordance with the plans of the central labor union.
  • American Ferderation of Labor

    American Ferderation of Labor
    A national federation of labor unions in the U.S. founded in 1886 the largest union grouping in the U.S. for the first 1/2 of the 20th century.
  • Samuel Gompers

    Samuel Gompers
    American Labor union leader who founded AFL and served as its president from 1886-1894 & from 1895-1924 when he died.
  • Pullman Strike

    Pullman Strike
    Nationwide railroad strike in U.S. and a turing point for U.S. Labor law
  • Shirtwaist Factory Fire

    Shirtwaist Factory Fire
    In NYC was one of the deadliest industrial disasters in U.S. history cause 146 deaths. This disaster helped spur the growth of International Ladies Garment Workers Union.
  • The Wagner Act

    The Wagner Act
    Signed into law by President Roosevelt. It established the national labor relations board and addressed relations between unions and employees in the private sector.
  • Fair Labor Act of 1938

    Fair Labor Act of 1938
    Established minimum wage, overtime pay, records keeping and youth employment standards.
  • Taft-Hartly Act

    Taft-Hartly Act
    The U.S. Federal law that restricts the activities of Labor unions.