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American Federation of Labor
One of the first labor unions in the country founded by Samuel Grompers, It used tactics like collective bargaining to negociate higher contracts and better working conditions. -
International Ladies Garment Workers Union
Created from several smaller local unions, it became one of the largest in the country and was primarily composed of women members. In 1909 they had a massive 20,000 member strike for better working conditions. -
Industrial Workers of the World
They felt that the AFL had failed to be a union to benefit everyone, so founders including senator Eugene V Debs and Mother Jones created what they thought would be a union for all industrial workers. They also believed in a democratic workplace in which the worker could elect their managers. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
146 women are killed in a fire while working in a factory. The harsh working conditions and the poor safety precautions now become very visible to the public eye. -
US Department of Labor
Signed in by Taft it was created to help people find work, keep work , and improve working conditions -
Ludlow Massacre
A srike organized by the United Mine Workers of America was confronted by the Colorado national gaurd and the companies security gaurds. They shot and killed some 20 men, women, and children. -
WWI
With the assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, a massive war followed taking place in the heart of Europe. The US would later get involved to tip the sides of war after what seamed to be a never ending stalemate. -
Clayton Act
Exempted unions from the Sherman Anti-trust Act which meant that unions could come together to form monopoly type groups. -
Adamson Act
Established an 8 hour work day with a higher pay rate for overtime. -
Great Depression
When the stock market crashed on "black tuesday" the US economy went into severe economic hardship. Unemployment reached 25% while prices for everything fell incredible amounts. -
Davis-Bacon Act
Declaired that all workers hired by the government must be paid at the local market value so that workers could not be imported. -
Norris-LaGuardia Act
Made Yellow-Dog contracts, contracts which one signs in that they will not join a union, were illegal and that the cours could not interfere with srikes. -
Wagner Act
Gives protection to unions durring collective bargaining talks and ensures fair union leadership elactions. It prohibited closed shop contracts in which workers were required to belong to a union in order to be hired. Open shop is still a viable option in which an employee is not required to join a union. -
CIO
A labor union that protected industrial workers. Joined with the AFL to become the even larger AFL-CIO. -
Fair Labor Standards Act
Established a 40 hour working week with salary rates at 1.5 times when working over time. It Created a minimum wage and put more restrictions on child labor.