ProQuest history vault. Labor unions in the U.S., 1862-1974 : Knights of Labor, AFL, CIO, and AFL-CIO.

"This module offers unique and important documentation on the growth, transformation, successes and failures of one of the important American social movements of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the modern American labor movement. Four major national organizations are documented in substantial detail in this module: the Knights of Labor, AFL, CIO, and AFL-CIO. The Knights of Labor constituted the most powerful force in American labor in the nineteenth century. It was the first national labor organization to recruit extensively and as a matter of policy both women and blacks, to organize throughout the country, and to attempt to unify industrial and agrarian workers. The records in this module on the Knights of Labor consist of the Papers of Terence V. Powderly and John W. Hayes, sourced from the holdings of the Catholic University of America. From 1886 to 1955, the AFL discussed and acted on virtually all the major problems confronting American labor. Virtually every area of labor research for these years is illuminated by the AFL Records in this module, including strikes and boycotts; competition with rival labor organizations including the Knights of Labor, Industrial Workers of the World, and the CIO; labor legislation, such as the Eight Hour Bill and workmen's compensation; political developments, including immigration restrictions, antitrust laws, old-age pensions, and the direct election of U.S. senators; and, of course, internal AFL matters such as membership, relations with the international and local unions, state labor federations, and changes in the organization of the AFL. The CIO was at the center of labor activism from 1935 to 1955, after its establishment by leaders of the United Mine Workers. These years were characterized by mass organizing, nationwide strikes, and bitter ideological and partisan political conflict that had a far-reaching impact on the nation as a whole. The CIO records in this module consist of Minutes of the Executive Board of the CIO and the papers of Adolph Germer, a longtime member of the United Mine Workers and a key leader in the formation of the CIO. Closely related to the Germer papers are the papers of John Mitchell, who served as president of the United Mine Workers from 1899-1908 and as one of the vice-presidents of the American Federation of Labor from 1900-1914. Records that document the AFL-CIO in this module consist of State Labor Proceedings for 1885-1974 with the 1955-1974 portion of the records pertaining to the AFL-CIO."

Description based on contents viewed Dec. 11, 2017; title from home page.