Some of these
state organizations antedate the Federation.
There remain the local unions, into personal touch with which
each member comes. There were in 1916 as many as 647 "city
centrals," the term used to designate the affiliation of the
unions of a city. The city centrals are smaller replicas of the
state federations and are made up of delegates elected by the
individual unions. They meet at stated intervals and freely
discuss questions relating to the welfare of organized labor in
general as well as to local labor conditions in every trade.
Indeed, vigilance seems to be the watchword of the Central.
Organization, wages, trade agreements, and the attitude of public
officials and city councils which even remotely might affect
labor rarely escape their scrutiny. This oldest of all the groups
of labor organizations remains the most vital part of the
Federation. The success of the American Federation of Labor is
due in large measure to the crafty generalship of its President,
Samuel Gompers, one of the most astute labor leaders developed by
American economic conditions. He helped organize the
Federation, carefully nursed it through its tender years, and
boldly and unhesitatingly used its great power in the days of its
maturity. In fact, in a very real sense the Federation is
Gompers, and Gompers is the Federation. Born in London of
Dutch-Jewish lineage, on January 27, 1850, the son of a
cigarmaker, Samuel Gompers was early apprenticed to that craft.
Pages:
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92