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
page revision: 5, last edited: 24 Sep 2009 01:23