The New Unionism (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1917 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER YI THE ITEW UNIONISM IN THE UNITED STATES INDUSTRIALISM: I Many have been the attempts at organizing labor in the United States along the lines of industrial unionism not only for the purpose of-winning material advantages for the workers but with a view to reshaping society and transforming it from a republic ruled by capitalists into an industrial commonwealth ruled by the producers themselves. The earliest attempt at industrial organization in the United States was the creation of the National Labor Union, which was formed in 1866 in Baltimore, Md. After two years it had a membership of 640,000 but went to pieces in 1868-9. The Knights of Labor was organized in 1869 and rose to a position of importance between 1880 and 1890. It was not an industrial organization in the modern sense of the word nor was it a class organization. It admitted to membership in the same local union, workers of all industries in the same locality and also admitted small business men and professional men. This organization ignored too completely the divergent interests of crafts which were apparently better served at the time by the system of craft unions adopted by the American Federation of Labor. The eraft system finally prevailed and in 1895 the Kiiights of Labor was routed out of existence, John Most's propaganda for anarchism in this country to which he had come in 1882 after serving a sentence of imprisonment in England, was in the main responsible for the creation of another working class organization which embodied many features of the new unionismGroups of anarchists and social revolutionists from twenty-six cities sent their delegates to a congress held in Pittsburgh in October, 1883. The congress decided to establish an International Working People's Associa...