Labor Unions in American History: 1865–1940

Introduction: Industrial America After the Civil War

As technology and the Industrial Revolution advanced following the end of the Civil War, more and more factories opened and workers of all ages were hired to fill the demanding schedules that factory owners required. Various industries — such as the meatpacking industry of the early 1900s, memorably depicted by Upton Sinclair in The Jungle — were notorious for unsafe working environments. There were no child labor laws in effect, nor any wage laws. Workers were often expected to put in extremely long workdays, leading to overwork and a rise in workplace accidents (Schultz, 2018). From 1865 to 1940, the development of labor unions was generally a positive force, contributing to economic stability, the implementation of necessary safety laws, and the promotion of job growth.

Factory Conditions and the Case for Organized Labor

By 1871, workplace conditions in factories were already dire. Whitaker (1871) illustrated this in his treatise "The Impact of the Factory on Worker Health," noting that, among various other problems, "accidents and casualties are very numerous, partly owing to the exposed machinery and partly owing to carelessness" and that "hands and fingers mutilated, in consequence of accidents" could often be found upon inspection of a factory facility. This type of workplace environment was representative of many factories across the country, demonstrating a clear need for labor unions to form on behalf of workers — to make businesses both safer and fairer, and ultimately more efficient, as government regulation followed to pave the path toward better working conditions for America's laborers (Schultz, 2018).

Samuel Gompers and the American Federation of Labor

A little over a decade later, Samuel Gompers responded to the call for better representation of workers' needs and rights by forming the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1886. As Gompers (1914) wrote, the AFL was simply making a case for basic necessities: it was "in favor of a shorter workday, and a progressive decrease of working hours in keeping with the development of machinery and the use of productive forces," and recognized "the need for greater opportunities and more time for rest, leisure and cultivation among the workers" along with "one entire day of rest in each week." In other words, the labor union advocated for everything that American workers take for granted today. At the turn of the century, however, there was nothing like it — and businesses were getting away with unsafe workplaces. This was problematic for industries as well, as blowback from the American public and pressure from the federal government eventually pushed companies to face the consequences.

Conclusion: Labor Unions as a Positive Historical Force

The opposing view is that labor unions stifled business growth and development — but this is not borne out by the historical record. While some labor unions became little more than fronts for organized crime later in the twentieth century, the reality from 1865 to 1940 was that workers needed protection from unscrupulous owners. This protection helped make workplaces safer and better regulated, which in turn made industries fairer, better run, and more acceptable to the public — the very people who would ultimately do the consuming.

In the modern workplace, employees benefit from two days off per week, a maximum 40-hour workweek with overtime compensation at time and a half, safe working conditions, and positive workplace cultures. These are not coincidences — they are the direct legacy of the labor movement that fought for them during the period from 1865 to 1940. Companies that recognize their social responsibility to workers and communities reflect the ideals that organized labor worked for generations to establish.