What were the goals of the AFL?
1 Answer
The AFL focused on negotiating for better wages and working conditions rather than political goals. Although they had a political goals as well.
Explanation:
Union Locals organized fairly small groups of people. The AFL was a group of Unions working together to limit conflict between Unions. The AFL was interested in Skilled Trades People ( Craft Unions}. That is to say people with trades skills rather than relatively unskilled people. They organized by craft rather than by industry.
Skilled trades had more power if they were to strike and could show value for money to an Employer. Their proportion of the workforce was small and the AFL suffered because it did not have a broad appeal. It membership did not want to appeal to the relatively unskilled. Some member Unions started to organize by industry and for a broader appeal in the workforce.
These unions began to organize by industry, a combination of Craft and unskilled Employees that worked for one or a group of Employers in a particular industry. There was a divide and these unions were split from the AFL in 1935.
The CIO (Congress of Industrial Organizations) was formed of this splinter group. The AFL and CIO join together in 1955 to deal with common problems.
The AFL was reasonably successful in keeping separate from the more Communist or Socialist extremists groups and appealing to the American mainstream politically.
