Congress of Industrial Organizations
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| Congress of Industrial Organizations | |
|---|---|
| Name | Congress of Industrial Organizations |
| Founded | 1935 |
| Dissolved | 1955 (merged) |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois |
| Country | United States |
| Key people | John L. Lewis; Philip Murray; Sidney Hillman; Walter Reuther |
| Predecessor | Committee for Industrial Organization |
| Successor | AFL–CIO |
Congress of Industrial Organizations
The Congress of Industrial Organizations was a federation of industrial unions that organized large numbers of workers in heavy industry and mass production sectors. Formed amid the labor unrest of the 1930s, it drew leadership and rank-and-file from coal, steel, automobile, mining, and electrical industries and interacted with figures and institutions across American labor, political, and legal arenas. Its leaders engaged directly with presidents, members of Congress, federal agencies, and rival labor organizations to reshape collective bargaining and industrial labor relations.
History
The organization emerged from disputes within the American Federation of Labor and labor struggles following the New Deal era legislation such as the National Labor Relations Act and cases decided by the National Labor Relations Board. Its founding involved leaders like John L. Lewis, who split from craft unionism to pursue industrial organizing among workers at firms such as U.S. Steel, General Motors, and Bethlehem Steel. Early campaigns drew on precedent actions including the Homestead Strike, the legacy of the United Mine Workers of America, and tactics refined in the Sit-down strike movement at plants run by General Motors and Fisher Body Division. The organization navigated legal challenges including injunctions issued by federal judges influenced by rulings from the Supreme Court of the United States and engaged with New Deal officials in the National Recovery Administration and later the Wagner Act enforcement.
During World War II the federation coordinated with agencies like the War Labor Board and participated in wartime production planning alongside officials in the Office of Price Administration and the War Production Board. Postwar, it confronted issues stemming from the Taft–Hartley Act and Cold War anti-communist pressures exemplified by investigations from the House Un-American Activities Committee and scrutiny by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Internal rifts involving leaders such as Sidney Hillman, Philip Murray, and Walter Reuther shaped responses to allegations of communist influence linked to affiliates including the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America.
Organization and Structure
The federation grouped industrial unions representing diverse workplaces: auto workers in unions like the United Auto Workers, steelworkers in the Steelworkers Organizing Committee which became the United Steelworkers, miners in the United Mine Workers of America, electrical workers in the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America, and transport workers in unions such as the Railway Labor Executives' Association. Its governance included a president, secretary-treasurer, executive board, and a convention process similar to other federations like the American Federation of Labor and later the merged AFL–CIO. Regional councils and industrial councils coordinated organizing drives at firms such as Ford Motor Company, Chrysler Corporation, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, and General Electric facilities. Affiliated locals negotiated contracts citing precedents from settlements at Kaiser Shipyards, the Bethlehem Steel collective bargaining agreements, and agreements enforced through the National Labor Relations Board.
Major Campaigns and Strikes
The federation spearheaded landmark campaigns including the 1936–1937 auto industry struggles culminating in recognition by General Motors after actions at Flint, Michigan facilities and sit-down tactics at the Fisher Body Plant. The organization led the 1937 steel organizing drives targeting corporations such as Bethlehem Steel and U.S. Steel, producing major strikes and bargaining outcomes reflected in pacts at Homestead Steel Works and other sites. The federation coordinated coal strikes involving the United Mine Workers of America against operators in regions like Appalachia and participated in shipyard organizing at Kaiser Shipyards during World War II. Postwar campaigns included strikes against Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and electrical workers’ actions at General Electric and Westinghouse, while confrontations with anti-union employers invoked legal contests adjudicated by the National Labor Relations Board and federal courts.
Relationships with the American Federation of Labor and Other Unions
The federation’s split from the American Federation of Labor produced years of rivalry marked by legal battles, jurisdictional disputes, and competition for members from unions such as the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Negotiations and conflicts involved leaders like A. Philip Randolph and institutions including the Civil Rights Movement allies and the Congress of Racial Equality on organizing minority workers. Alliances formed with industrial unions were sometimes strained by ideological disputes, notably involving left-led unions like the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America and more conservative affiliates who moved toward mainstream leadership. The protracted rivalry ended with complex merger negotiations culminating in formation of the AFL–CIO in 1955.
Political Activities and Legislative Impact
The federation mobilized electoral support for candidates in coordination with entities like the Democratic National Committee and engaged with presidents including Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman on labor policy, social security expansion, and industrial mobilization. It lobbied Congress on measures such as the Wagner Act implementation and later opposed provisions in the Taft–Hartley Act while influencing appointments to agencies like the National Labor Relations Board. The federation’s political committees campaigned on issues from wartime production controls to housing initiatives and collaborated with public figures like Eleanor Roosevelt and A. Philip Randolph on civil rights and labor integration.
Decline, Merger, and Legacy
Postwar pressures including legal restrictions under the Taft–Hartley Act, anti-communist purges influenced by the House Un-American Activities Committee, and internal leadership struggles with figures such as John L. Lewis and Walter Reuther weakened the federation. Membership shifts, jurisdictional conflicts with the American Federation of Labor, and economic restructuring in industries like steel and automobile led to declining leverage. Negotiations with AFL leaders such as George Meany resulted in the 1955 merger creating the AFL–CIO, a consolidated labor federation. The federation’s legacy endures in the structures of the United Auto Workers, United Steelworkers, and other industrial unions, and its organizing models influenced later movements associated with the Civil Rights Movement, community-labor coalitions, and labor law precedents adjudicated by the National Labor Relations Board and the Supreme Court of the United States.