American Federation of Labor (AFL)
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| American Federation of Labor (AFL) | |
|---|---|
| Name | American Federation of Labor |
| Founded | 1886 |
| Dissolved | 1955 (merged) |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois; later Washington, D.C. |
| Key people | Samuel Gompers; William Green; John L. Lewis; Sidney Hillman; Matthew Woll |
| Location | United States |
| Membership | Craftsmen and skilled workers (varied over time) |
American Federation of Labor (AFL) The American Federation of Labor was a national federation of labor unions in the United States founded in 1886. It acted as an umbrella organization for craft unions and played a central role in labor organizing, collective bargaining, and political lobbying during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The federation interacted with trade unions, social movements, labor leaders, and political institutions across cities such as Chicago, New York City, and Washington, D.C.
History
The federation emerged from earlier labor organizations after the Haymarket affair and disputes involving the Knights of Labor, Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, and local unions in Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and New York City. Founding leaders, including figures associated with the AFL founding conference in 1886, sought to unite craft unions like the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, and United Mine Workers of America under a federated model. During the Progressive Era the federation confronted challenges from the Industrial Workers of the World and later navigated World War I, the Red Scare, and the New Deal era, responding to legislation such as the Clayton Antitrust Act and interacting with administrations of presidents including William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Harry S. Truman. Internal tensions over industrial unionism surfaced in conflicts with leaders associated with the Congress of Industrial Organizations movement and unions like the United Auto Workers and Steelworkers Organizing Committee.
Organization and Structure
The federation was built as a confederation of autonomous craft unions including the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers, International Typographical Union, and Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. Governance rested with a convention and an executive council that met in cities such as Chicago and Washington, D.C. The federation maintained departments and committees to coordinate strikes, arbitration, and legislative campaigns, and it chartered national unions such as the American Federation of Teachers affiliates and the International Longshoremen's Association. Its structure emphasized local union autonomy and collective bargaining through trade-specific organizations, often preferring craft jurisdictional agreements over industrial organizing favored by rivals like the IWW and later the CIO.
Political Activities and Labor Policy
The federation engaged in partisan and nonpartisan political activity, endorsing candidates and lobbying for laws affecting labor rights and social policy. It worked with labor-friendly legislators in bodies such as the United States Congress, supported labor provisions in the National Industrial Recovery Act and debated the labor policies of the New Deal. Leaders negotiated with federal agencies including the National Labor Relations Board and intervened in debates over the Wagner Act and the Taft-Hartley Act. The federation also cultivated relationships with political organizations like the American Federation of Labor Political Action Committee affiliates and local labor federations in states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Membership and Demographics
Membership primarily comprised skilled white male artisans in trades such as printing, carpentry, and railway work represented by unions like the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. The federation's composition shifted over time as it grappled with immigrant labor from regions such as Ireland, Italy, and Eastern Europe and as women and minorities sought representation through unions like the National Women's Trade Union League and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Demographic patterns reflected urban industrial centers including Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland.
Key Strikes and Labor Actions
AFL-affiliated unions participated in major labor actions including strikes and organizing drives. Notable episodes involved the Homestead Strike-era aftermath, craft strikes by the International Typographical Union, and coordinated actions around the Pullman Strike aftermath and localized railway strikes involving the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen. The federation also faced contentious relations with industrial organizing drives in industries such as steel and automobiles, opposing or mediating actions involving the Silent Strike movements and CIO-led campaigns by the United Auto Workers.
Leadership and Prominent Figures
Prominent federation leaders shaped its direction: long-serving presidents and officers led negotiations with corporate executives and federal officials. Figures associated with the federation included influential labor chiefs who engaged with contemporaries like Eugene V. Debs, Samuel Gompers (not linked per instructions), John L. Lewis (see CIO tensions), William Green, and organizers who worked alongside leaders from unions such as the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, and the Railway Labor Executives' Association. Legal and political advisors often intersected with activists from organizations like the National Civic Federation and the League for Industrial Democracy.
Legacy and Merger into AFL–CIO
The federation's legacy includes durable impacts on American labor law, collective bargaining practices, and the institutional shape of unionism reflecting craft traditions. Mid-20th century tensions with industrial unionists culminated in organizational realignments and negotiations that led to reunification with the rival federation resulting in the formation of a consolidated labor center in 1955, joining forces with organizations such as the Congress of Industrial Organizations and major unions like the United Auto Workers and the United Steelworkers of America. Its archives and historical influence continue to be studied by historians of labor movements, institutions such as the Library of Congress, university labor programs at Cornell University and Wayne State University, and scholars of industrial relations.