Labor organizations in the United States were founded long before factories were developed. Between 1790 and 1799, shoemakers, printers, carpenters, and other craftsmen organized "societies" in eastern cities, and as needed they conducted strikes for higher wages and closed shops. The earliest authenticated strike in the U.S. was in Philadelphia in 1786 when the printers union gained a minimum wage of $6 a week. The labor philosophies of these organizations were highly influential in the development of subsequent groups, notably the Mechanics' Union of Trade Associations in 1827. As industry expanded at a time of soaring prices following the discovery of gold in California in the 1850s, trade unionism was revived. Officers from 25 unions gathered in Columbus, Ohio in 1886 to organize all trades and to form the American Federation of Labor (AFL). The organization adopted the policy of collective bargaining to deal with employers on wage matters.
By the turn of the century, though, there was a greater need for union organization. Hundreds of item
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