American Federation of Labor

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The American Federation of Labor or AFL was a confederation of trade unions in the U.S. It was founded in 1886 by Samuel Gompers (1850–1924), its longtime head. A group of industrial unions broke away in the 1930s to form the CIO. After years of bitter rivalry the two re-united in 1955 as the AFL-CIO. Another split took place in 2006, as the AFL-CIO steadily lost membership and influence in the private sector. However it has gained in strength with the public sector unions, and continues to be an influential force for liberal policies inside the Democratic party. --- See also

Bibliography

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  • Browne, Waldo Ralph. What's what in the Labor Movement: A Dictionary of Labor Affairs and Labor (1921) 577pp; encyclopedia of labor terms, organizations and history. complete text online
  • Commons, John R. History of Labour in the United States - vol 1 and Vol. 2 1860-1896 (1918) vol 2 online edition
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  • Galenson, Walter. The CIO Challenge to the AFL: A History of the American Labor Movement, 1935-1941 (1960) online edition
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Primary cources

  • AFL, American Federation of Labor: History, Encyclopedia, Reference Book 1919 online edition
  • Gompers, Samuel. Seventy Years of Life and Labor: An Autobiography (1925) online edition