Monday, February 1, 2010

American Federation of Labor

The American Federation of Labor, or AFL for short, was the organization of various labor unions that represented skilled workers. The worker's trades differed by their union, but the AFL grouped all of these workers together. The AFL was formed in 1886, but it was the dominant organization representing skilled laborers by the end of the 19th century. Almost all major strikes and negotiations by laborers were controled and organized by the AFL. Even though the AFL was not directly set of by the government, I believe that the U.S.'s labor system would not be the same without it. The AFL is what gave works rights, which many of us take for granted today. I have a job, and because of this, I am in a union. Although neither my co-workers nor I plan on going on strike, it is comforting to know that I have some organization behind me. If something does come up, where my rights at work are taken away, I know that the AFL will represent me untill I get back thoes rights. The AFL's pressence may not be seen as much today, but that is because of the effort the orrganization gave in the past. Many laws were created because of the AFL, all of which help skilled labor. The AFL's presence in America has help our labor system advance to what it is today.

"American Federation of Labor." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 1 Feb. 2010. .
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2 comments:

  1. JonFebruary 3, 2010 at 12:13 PM

    I like your article but I think you should talk more about how it effects society and you more. I know you talked a little about how the AFL can support you if you ever wanted to go on strike and it is good. However, I feel like you can go even deeper into this topic and tell how it has changes society and how it has effected society.

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  2. Alyssa CharmanFebruary 3, 2010 at 1:13 PM

    I entirely agree with you when you said that the U.S.'s labor system would not be the same without the AFL because the union not only directly helped the workers physically strike against a group and fight for something they wanted, but also created a support system for laboreres going through tough times. Well written post, nice work. In the future it would be interesting to hear more of your veiw on how the AFL acted out. Overall, good job!

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