After The War New Opportunities Bore

ASU HST 200 (Historical Themes) The Great War America 1914–1919 After The War, New Opportunities Bore The federal government invited organized labor to the negotiation table during the war because it needed to establish peaceful and productive industrial relations, after decades of minimal engagement in the disputes between management and organized labor. In an attempt to better organize workers and win better pay and working conditions for them, Samuel Gompers, the leader of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), tried to take advantage of these circumstances. His personal power base was strengthened by his actions as well. Due to the war's need for increased output, several states had acute labor shortages, which were made worse by the draft's removal of millions of young men from the labor force. Wilson ordered the establishment of the National Labor War Board in April 1918, having only looked at the long-standing hostility between labor and management for a short time. After speedy talks with Gompers and the AFL, organized labor agreed to a "no-strike pledge" for the length of the war in exchange for the US government's defense of employees' rights to collective bargaining and organization. As promised, the federal government supported union membership, a livable wage for all workers, and the eight-hour workday, which had been implemented by government employees for the first time in 1868. Union membership therefore surged throughout the war, rising from 2.6 million in 1916 to 4.1 million in 1919. In summary, the country's involvement in the war improved working conditions and pay for American workers. Their financial gains were constrained, though. Despite the fact that general prosperity increased throughout the war, companies and company owners benefited more from it than the actual workforce. Wage increases were mostly offset by inflation, though. Between 1917 and 1920, prices in the US rose by 15 to 20 percent on average every year. Because of the much greater cost of living during the war, individual buying power actually decreased. In contrast, business revenues rose by about a third throughout the conflict. Between 1914 and 1919, the Great War significantly altered American culture, especially in the area of labor relations. Following the war, the federal government saw an opportunity and acted to engage organized labor, breaking with decades of scant engagement in labor issues. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) head, Samuel Gompers, saw a chance to further the cause of workers' rights and tried to take advantage of the situation. As he sought to better organize workers and push for better pay and working conditions, his authority within the AFL was strengthened. Millions of young men were conscripted into the military during the war, which caused severe labor shortages in numerous states due to the need for greater industrial output. April 1918 saw the establishment of the National Labor War Board by President Woodrow Wilson, who recognized the need of preserving harmonious and fruitful labor relations. Wilson took quick action to resolve the matter, even though he gave the long-standing conflicts between labor and management just a cursory examination. The federal government obtained a "no-strike pledge" from organized labor for the length of the war in cooperation with Gompers and the AFL. In return, the government promised to protect workers' rights to organization and collective bargaining. This was a dramatic change in the government's attitude toward labor and an acknowledgment of the role that workers' rights play in preserving social order in times of conflict. The federal government fulfilled its promises to encourage unionization, push for a living wage for all workers, and maintain the eight-hour workweek, which had been instituted for government employees in 1868. As a result, union membership soared from 2.6 million in 1916 to 4.1 million in 1919, a dramatic increase throughout the war. American workers' wages and working conditions significantly improved as a consequence of organized labor's engagement in negotiations during the war. Nevertheless, inflation limited the workers' cash advantages notwithstanding these advances. Even if overall prosperity rose throughout the conflict, the majority of the gains went to the firms and their owners. Rising prices effectively countered wage gains; from 1917 and 1920, inflation averaged 15 to 20 percent each year. Individual workers' buying power therefore fell during the conflict. On the other hand, companies saw significant increases in income during the conflict, highlighting the uneven distribution of profits. Notwithstanding the difficulties brought about by inflation, the war era marked a critical turning point in American labor relations. The federal government's growing involvement with organized labor set the stage for later developments in collective bargaining and workers' rights.