Read an interview with a former steelworker, who recalls the Great Steel Strike of 1919 when he was a young boy. Find out the ramifications for his family because his father was a union man who supported the strike. An audio of the...

Read Terence V. Powderly's reasoning for keeping the Knights of Labor, which he headed, out of the turmoil that came after the Haymarket Square Riot.

The Bread and Roses Strike was given a very slight chance of accomplishing anything for women who worked in poor conditions in the textile mills in Lawrence, Massachusetts. See how wrong the mill owners and even the leaders of the...

A lengthy look at the sit-down strike called against General Motors factories first in Flint, Michigan, and then across the country. Find out about how the UAW organized the strike, how long it lasted, and what the consequences were for...

A broad look at the Truman presidency domestically including the labor problems he encountered, his Fair Deal, the instransigence of the Republican Party, and McCarthyism.

Female labor activist "Mother Jones" was a self-proclaimed "hell-raiser" in the cause of economic justice.

Debs began his association with labor issues at an early age starting with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen. He went on to be active in the American Railway Union, the Socialist Party of America, and the Industrial Workers of the...

Learn interesting details about the Knights of Labor, the first major American labor union to be established.

From Walter Lindner's Progressive Party pamphlet, this detailed description of the Flint sit-down strike of 1936-1937 outlines the causes and results of the UAW's collective action.

A good summary of the establishment of the Congress of Industrial Organizations and the reasons why John L. Lewis founded it. Read about the roadblocks unskilled and semi-skilled labor overcame to organize.

The Gilded Age was a period of terrible labor violence, as industrialists and workers fought for control of the workplace. Workers organized the first large American labor unions during the Gilded Age, while employers tried to stop the...

Samuel Gompers, master organizer, had a vision of a national union that would have economic clout, but would steer clear of politics. Read about his organization of skilled workers in craft unions under the banner of the American...

Find out about a Chinese immigrant who, after laboring on the Central Pacific Railroad, became a wealthy miner in Colorado. From the Colorado Historical Society.

As early as 1866 a national union grew from the multitude of local unions in the country. Read about the growth of stronger unions, and find out what their goals were. See why the Haymarket Square Riot had an effect on unionization.

Aimed at middle school teachers and students, this resource contains lists of labor links. It includes a brief history of strikes, the Knights of Labor and the AFL.

Site from the University of Maryland provides primary source documents, a brief history of the labor movement, and biographical information about Samuel Gompers. A great resource for teachers and students.

In reading and discussing Lyddie, by Katherine Paterson, students examine basic economic concepts and explore the growth of labor unions and the role of government in a market economy.

This resource gives an account of the Pullman Strike of 1894. It discusses what the strike was about, how it was resolved, and the effect its outcome had.

A lesson plan from the producers of the 16-episode PBS series "Freedom: A History of US" that focuses on the growth of militant labor unions like the International Workers of the World, on Joe Hill's role in the IWW, and on the...

The Taft-Hartley Act was a contentious law aimed at limiting the influence of labor unions immediately after World War II. Read about the act and the changes it made to the Wagner Act.

Through voices of mill workers, learn the struggle of the American worker to unionize. Includes a timeline and a study guide. The website is a companion piece to the film that must be purchased.

Passage of the Adamson Act in 1916 was a huge victory for labor unions pushing for an eight-hour day. Read about that victory and find an illustration celebrating that fact.

Learn about Cesar Chavez (1927-1993), the Mexican American labor activist and leader of the United Farm Workers. During the 20th century, he was a leading voice for migrant farm workers.

This article relates the history of African Americans in the union movement during the Great Depression. Read about the importance of black membership in the CIO, the ILA, and the steel industry.