Samuel Gompers

• Marxist, cigar maker
• Founded the American Federation of Labor in 1886, president until he died in 1924
• Hostile environment for unions
  • Govt. crushed strikes
  • Used Sherman Antitrust Act
  • Injunctions prohibited strikes
• American Federation of Labor
  • 1890’s, focused on organizing skilled workers
  • skilled workers looked down on unskilled workers
  • “bread and butter” issues, not government reguation of economy and workplace
  • Negotiated contracts with employers to set the wages
  • 2 million members
  • Allowed other unions to participate, like the United Mine Workers (UMW)
• Lochner v. New York, 1905
  • Supreme Court declared a New York law limiting bakery employees to 10-hr day unconstitutional, discourages AFL