Monroe County Labor History Museum
The Website tracks the beginning of the Michigan Labor history. This saga begins with the CIO it was a national labor organization that formed in 1935. It was originally called the "Committee for Industrial Oranization"
In 1886, thirteen national unions formed the American Federation of Labor, or AFL, which was a labor organization that primarily represented skilled labor. These skilled occupations were referred to in the nineteenth century as "crafts". Although the AFL did include unskilled laborers in its membership, the federation favored skilled craft unionism. But as America became more industrialized in the early twentieth century, mass production industries emerged, requiring a larger, less-skilled workforce in comparison with the number of traditional AFL members in craft unions.
The CIO formed to promote the organization of workers in mass-production industries. Eight member unions that were in the AFL formed the CIO. Original founding members included major national unions representing mine workers, typographical employees, and the garment trades.
The American labor movement was split in the mid-1930s through the mid-1950s between the AFL and the CIO regarding how best to organize workers, and how best to represent those worker unions. Eventually the ideological differences between the two organizations lessened, until they merged as the unified AFL-CIO in 1955.
From here you need to take the Newton Strike Virtual Tour, this will review the facts that led to the 1937 Strke that shook the world and Monroe see how the citizens felt and responded see how the wives reacted. Right up to the year 1945 when one worker asked management to renogiate the contract you see wages were frozen for the war effort. They refused and told him he had to work the weekend he refused and he picked up his tools and left and so did everyone else, it was known as the 1945 17 day walkout
