spartacus.schoolnet). Samuel Gompers led the Federation of Trades and Labor Unions in 1881, which eventually became the American Federation of Labor, which .
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still exists and has grown tremendously and including internationally (www.spartacus.schoolnet). .
Large corporations detested unions" presence and did as much in their power to keep them out. They threatened their profits and liberties with regulations and pay requirements. Not only did companies make profit off product but also at their employees" expense (www.teamster.org). Without unions, companies could pay whatever they wanted and could disregard working conditions, concentrating on profit instead. Furthermore, businesses feared that if their shop became unionized, they would lose some control of their own workshops due to union rules and regulations (www.uaw.org). If the unions came in, they could demand that working conditions be adequate (which costs the companies money). .
In 1894, the Pullman strike disrupted production at a cart factory. The company decided to lower wages, which infuriated employees (www.spartacus.schoolnet). A decision to strike, which is a protest against working conditions (usually the result of breaking a contract), was made. This walk-out stretched across 27 states and hindered production and labor, causing huge financial losses for both Pullman Cart and the workers. Due to this strike the .
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Sherman Anti-Trust Act was passed (www.spartacus.schoolnet), this was a set back for the unions. This bill stated that it was illegal to have business deals that restricted trade or commerce. The bill became overturned eventually since it was vaguely written and had very little basis (www.teamster.org).
After the Pullman strike went sour, people started questioning the AFL's worth. In 1905, members from over 43 groups joined to create the Industrial Workers of the World (www.aflcio.org). One of the main ideas the IWW supported that the AFL did not was equal rights to work.
