Samuel Gompers

Long hours, low pay, and unsafe working conditions were the rule for most American workers in the late 1800s. Samuel Gompers helped change that by bringing thousands of workers together in unions to bargain for better treatment from employers.

Born in England, Gompers came to the United States with his family in 1863. He learned his father’s cigarmaking trade and joined the Cigarmakers’ Union. He became president of that union in 1874. In those days, unions were small and served only skilled workers in specific trades. Gompers realized that unions would be stronger if they banded together. In 1881, he helped found a federation of labor unions that became the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1886.

Gompers was president of the AFL until his death. Under his presidency, membership grew to four million. Gompers pressed for higher wages, fewer hours, and better working conditions. He believed that these goals should be won by collective bargaining, not strikes. Unlike some labor leaders, he was not very interested in political change. His purpose was to make life better for American workers. While Gompers led the AFL, average wages increased 205 percent and the average workday was shortened to nine hours. Because of his imporant role in their struggle, he is known as the “father of the modern labor movement.”