Samuel Gompers and AFL
AFL goals
-narrower but more realistic goals than KOL's -wanted to increase workers' wages -reduce hours -improve working conditions
closed vs. open shop
-closed: employers only hire union members (what Gompers wanted) and any employee should pay union dues -open: could employ non-union members (what employers wanted)
"company unions"
-established by employers in mines and factories -to hand grievances and provide certain welfare benefits
Samuel Gompers
-first president of American Federation of Labor (AFL), the first enduring national labor union -immigrated from london where he was a cigar maker -become leader of cigar-maker's union and made it one of the country's strongest unions
AFL
-largest membership in the building trades where the craft principle was most dominant -union of skilled workers and craft unions -eventually replaced KOL as nation's largest labor organization after the Haymarket Square Riot
Gompers' Beliefs
-organizing skilled craft workers would be most beneficial to labor -shouldnt attempt to organize all workers in an industry -refused to form alliance with Knights of Labor -rejected socialism -wanted a unionism that emphasized agreements with employees
successful efforts at unionization
-organizing workers in immigrant sweatshops -new immigrants could be effectively organized (for ex in Amalgamated Clothing Workers)