Established in 1869, the National Labor Union (not to be confused with the cognominal National Labor Union ), more commonly known as the Colored National Labor Union ( CNLU ), was formed by African Americans to organize their labor collectively on a national level. The CNLU, like other labor unions in the United States , was created with the goal of improving the working conditions and quality of life for its members.
22-517: African Americans were excluded from some existing labor unions, such as when white workers formed the National Labor Union (NLU). William Sylvis , president of the NLU, made a speech in which he agreed that there should be "no distinction of race or nationality" within the ranks of his organization. In 1869 several black delegates were invited to the annual meeting of the NLU, among them Isaac Myers ,
44-685: A country . Nearly every country in the world has a national trade union center, and many have more than one. In some regions, such as the Nordic countries , different centers exist on a sectoral basis, for example, for blue collar workers and professionals . Many national trade union centers are now members of the International Trade Union Confederation , although some belong to the World Federation of Trade Unions . This article related to one or more trade or labor unions
66-434: A prominent organizer of African-American laborers. At the convention, he spoke eloquently for solidarity, saying that white and black workers ought to organize together for higher wages and a comfortable standard of living. However, the white unions refused to allow African Americans to join their ranks. In response to this, Myers met with other African-American laborers to form a national labor organization of their own, in 1869
88-505: The U.S. Supreme Court , as its presidential candidate for the upcoming presidential election. Davis later, however, withdrew his candidacy and the party made a poor showing at the polls. After holding one last convention in 1873, the National Labor Union collapsed and dissolved. National trade union center A national trade union center (or national center or central ) is a federation or confederation of trade unions in
110-487: The statute made them unenforceable or ineffective. In early 1869, the Chicago Tribune boasted that the NLU had 800,000 members; Sylvis himself put the figure at only 600,000. Both of these figures turned out to be greatly exaggerated. The organization was spectacularly unsuccessful at the polls and lost virtually all of its union supporters, many of whom moved on to the newly formed Knights of Labor . The depression of
132-478: The "eight-hour leagues" established to press for the eight-hour day , to create a national federation that could press for labor reforms and help found national unions in those areas where none existed. The new organization favored arbitration over strikes and called for the creation of a national labor party as an alternative to the two existing parties. The NLU drew much of its support from construction unions and other groups of skilled employees but also invited
154-447: The 1869 NLU convention, a motion was passed claiming that the organization did not recognize color, many local unions ignored this ruling and continued to remain segregated. Due to the use of black laborers as strike breakers, there was a great deal of resentment from mostly white unions, who saw them as an enemy. This resentment went both ways, as white strike breakers were also often employed when black workers went on strike. Another issue
176-511: The 1870s, which drove down union membership generally, was one of the final factors contributing to the end of the NLU, the other being the dismantling of policies instituted during Radical Reconstruction. By the 1870s the organisation increasingly relied on political action to meet its goals and in 1872 transformed itself into the National Labor Reform Party. The NLRP nominated David Davis of Illinois , associate justice of
198-583: The CNLU in December 1869, 214 delegates met and wrote a petition to Congress. This petition asked for Congress to split public land within the South into farmland to be used by low-income African American farmers. It also requested that black farmers be given a low-interest loan from the government. Another petition was drafted and sent to Congress in 1871, requesting the commission of an investigation into "Conditions of Affairs in
220-564: The NLU had when their designation as a political party fractured their organization. It was not until after World War II in the 1940s that the U.S. government stepped in and encouraged the development of the Fair Employment Practices Commission. National Labor Union The National Labor Union ( NLU ) was the first national labor federation in the United States. Founded in 1866 and dissolved in 1873, it paved
242-559: The National Labor Union, often referred to as the Colored National Labor Union, was formed with Myers as its first president. The CNLU was established to help improve the harsh conditions facing black workers. Among the goals of the CNLU, which represented African-American laborers in 21 states, were the issuance of farmland to poor African Americans in the South, government aid for education, and new nondiscriminatory legislation that would help struggling black workers. During
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#1732881470706264-576: The Southern States." Neither of these petitions made much, if any, impact on Congress or the treatment of black workers in the South. The Colored National Labor Union also established the Bureau of Labor, based in Washington, D.C. The Bureau of Labor was designed to assist workers of colors in organizing throughout the country. As President of the CNLU, Isaac Meyers traveled throughout the country, encouraging
286-435: The black workers broke apart from the NLU and had their own convention later that year, resulting in the creation of the Colored National Labor Union. According to its constitution, the official name for the organization was, The National Labor Union. The word "colored" was added to the previous name apparently by the public media of the time, thus labeling it the "Colored National Labor Union." The "Colored" National Labor Union
308-474: The election of Frederick Douglass in 1871 reflected the influx of political figures within the organization. Over time, the CNLU, became more and more political, to the point where it essentially became a branch of the Republican party, resulting in less trade-union activity and less contact with trade unions across the country. By 1872, the CNLU had ceased most of its operations and would eventually disband, just as
330-408: The organization of black workers and attempting to convince white labor unions to allow workers of color in their organizations. On his trips, he often specifically focused on mechanics and mechanic unions, as he believed that white mechanic labor unions were specifically designed to withhold specific positions from black workers. Unfortunately, upon the CNLU's second annual convention, Myers stated that
352-462: The organization was not as successful as they had hoped. He claimed that the educational and financial resources provided by the CNLU and the Bureau of Labor were insufficient and noted that the Ku Klux Klan's power in the South prevented the organization of black laborers in certain areas. While Meyers had warned against the CNLU becoming a primarily political body, as opposed to a trade union party,
374-488: The statute for which the Union had campaigned so hard, providing the eight-hour day for government workers. Many government agencies, however, reduced wages at the same time that they reduced hours. While President Grant ordered federal departments not to reduce wages, his order was ignored by many. The NLU also obtained similar legislation in a number of states, such as New York and California , but discovered that loopholes in
396-532: The unskilled and farmers to join. On the other hand, it campaigned for the exclusion of Chinese workers from the United States and made only halting, ineffective efforts to defend the rights of women and Black people. African-American workers established their own Colored National Labor Union as an adjunct, but their support of the prevalent racism of the citizens of the United States limited its effectiveness. The NLU achieved early success, but one that proved less significant in practice. In 1868, Congress passed
418-504: The way for other organizations, such as the Knights of Labor and the AFL ( American Federation of Labor ). It was led by William H. Sylvis and Andrew Cameron . The National Labor Union (NLU) followed the unsuccessful efforts of labor activists to form a national coalition of local trade unions. The NLU sought instead to bring together all of the national labor organizations in existence, as well as
440-426: Was a post-civil war organization founded in December 1869 by an assembly of 214 African American mechanics, engineers, artisans, tradesmen and trades-women, and their supporters in Washington D.C. This organization was created in pursuit of equal representation for African Americans in the workforce. The labor union was organized by Isaac Myers , and elected its first president; civil rights activist Frederick Douglass
462-411: Was selected the president of the CNLU in 1872. Douglass's newspaper The New Era was chosen as the official organ of this National Labor Union. The CNLU sent delegates to the 1870 National Labor Convention, but following the NLU's rejection of black abolitionist attorney John M. Langston's admission during the conference, the CNLU broke off most of its contact with the NLU. During the first convention of
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#1732881470706484-414: Was that the white working class were the base for violent white supremacist groups, making unity between the two races difficult. There were also disagreements between black and white workers regarding the priorities of labor unions, with white workers more focused on establishing political power and currency reform, while black workers were more concerned with the ability to own and develop property. As such,
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