U.S. Labor History-Rise Of Industrial Unionism

Rise of Industrial Unionism

In 1935 the citizens of the U.S. were still struggling to put together loss of due effects of the depression, leaving people to questioning the ideas of the American dream. Where what was once the land of hope and optimism became the land of despair. The American people were questioning all the maxims on which they had based their lives - democracy, capitalism, individualism. The economy during the depression had been significantly damaged, thus in 1935 and through out the 1930's economics dominated political discussion and policy. Commissions were set up to regulate Wall Street, the banking industry and other business enterprises. The U.S. became a nation of high expectation of government, in terms of control, insurance and welfare. Although more than any thing the citizens of the U.S. wanted change, change from what had brought them so much misery not to many years ago.

John L. Lewis, labor leader in the AFL in the 1935, sensed this need for change, in a new form of unionism, industrial unionism. Just over 10 years earlier unionism had suffered its biggest defeat, with the success of government and employer "union-busting". The AFL was static in its approach to organize labor, not following labor need and taking risk, focusing purely on organizing skilled workers. Yet a man would fight against this direction and start his own direction, this man was John L. Lewis. Lewis, who was a labor leader in the 1935, sensed this need for change, in a new form of unionism, industrial unionism. He felt organizing mass production workers was the new form of unionism, yet the president of the AFL, William Green felt otherwise. However Lewis' conviction with his vision and attitude would not allow any impediment in accomplishing his goal. Therefore in October 1935, during the annual AFL convention Lewis realized the perfect time for change, and speaking to a confidant declaring "a union drive in the basic industries in the past would have resulted in complete failure. But now the time is ripe; and now the time to do things is here. Let us do them." John L. Lewis noticed a variety of factors which made him conclude in the fall of 1935 that the time was "ripe", these factor were the changing climates in the U.S. economically, politically, legally and socially.

The U.S. economy in the 1935's was in recovery from the ‘Great Depression' of 1929.