In 1881, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was founded as an association to which other unions could join in order to have more of a voice for the rights of workers. The unions that initially joined the AFL were craft unions, comprised mostly of skilled trade workers, such as printers and plumbers. The first president was Samuel Gompers, who served from 1881 – 1924. The main duty of the union was to bargain with employers to negotiate better working conditions and/or higher wages. Shorter working hours were also important in the earlier years of the organization. Another key factor of negotiations, even today, involves the paid compensation of the members.
Gompers had a vision to build the labor movement into a powerful force throughout the country. He wanted to transform the political, economic, and social status of the American workers. He had three principals which guided him as he laid the foundation of the organization.
First, he advocated for union membership. For workers of trades or crafts, membership was grouped by their trade or craft identification. This method contrasted with other unions of the time that were willing to allow most people to join. The Knights of Labor invited all wage earners into its union, including employers. The Industrial Workers of the World had a philosophy of having “one big union.”
The second principal on which the AFL was founded placed the focus of activity primarily on economics. He had little faith in the political processes of the United States. He felt that if workers secured their own economic power, the state would be unable to take it away.
The third principal that Gompers used in his framework for the union was through political nonpartisanship. He wanted the union to have an independent political agenda. Candidates could be evaluated independently based on whether or not they supported the agenda of the union.
References
Bunch, D. (2012). What is the American federation of labor? EZine articles. Retrieved from
Samuel Gompers (1850-1924). (n.d.). In AFL-CIO America’s Unions. Retrieved from
Gompers-1850-1924
