Organizational history American Industrial Union

1 organizational history

1.1 establishment
1.2 structure
1.3 development
1.4 termination

organizational history
establishment

initial conversations establishing new industrial union know american industrial union (aiu) began in march 1895, news reports @ end of month indicating former senator lyman trumbull of illinois, friend of organized labor movement, had been approached offer made head of new organization. trumbull decline offer, leaving chief originator, former vice president of american railway union (aru) george w. howard serve public face of new organization.

the aiu officially launched on april 21, 1895, @ meeting of 35 delegates held in chicago through howard s initiative. howard proclaimed aru defunct in aftermath of failed 1894 pullman strike , characterized new union logical successor aru s effort build mass industrial organization.

a new constitution, written howard, c.e. ward, , james nugent, read assembly — process taking full hour , there no discussion permitted. heated debate followed, 1 newspaper account indicating dissidents argued preposterous rush through constitution in few minutes supposed contain underlying principles of industrial structure of america. majority of gathered howard loyalists, however, , constitution rapidly approved seriatim, votes on various sections approved in rapid succession.

debate turned letter new organization written eugene v. debs, seeking have correspondence filed without reading while others insisting on document being read. new union had been conceived while howard , debs incarcerated @ mchenry county jail earlier in year, views of aru president debs aiu — positive or negative — deemed important future of new organization.

after vote, debs letter read. debs declined participate in aiu, asserting continued allegiance american railway union , casting future prospects in highly optimistic terms.

the aiu patterned after american railway union goal of establishing national labor bureaus throughout united states , seeing implementation of 8-hour day september 1, 1897. preamble organization s constitution called expansion of principle of cooperation, establishment of postal savings banks, , universal suffrage women. no political party endorsed, union members encourage continue support candidates , parties of own choosing.

the aiu rather fantastically claimed membership of 5,000 @ time of launch, of adherents said come ranks of telegraphers. more reasonable estimate may extrapolated contemporary press report indicating membership of 300 local union no. 1, first , important chapter of organization, had 3 locals in chicago.

a national convention perfect organization slated january 1896.

structure

the aiu funded means of $1 initiation fees , annual dues, april convention following american railway union in setting annual fee of $1. organization declared not conduct strikes nor build fund striking workers, rather expressed intention use surplus funds support of various cooperative colonies being established in united states. membership open save representatives of monopolistic corporations without regard religion, race, or gender.

j.h. copeland, lawyer, selected april 1895 organizing convention president of aiu, george w. howard chosen general secretary.

the aiu headed ten member board of directors included president, 2 vice presidents, secretary, , treasurer. elected included:

development

after april 1895 launch, american industrial union met each sunday in chicago, nucleus of 40 members regularly attending these sunday sessions. these gatherings marked factionalism, however, 1 may 1895 session garnering front page headlines when general secretary howard challenged local knights of labor activist august e. gans having solely authored organization s constitution , forcing passage in unaltered form. if not agree pet schemes, brand him obstructionist,” gans reported have said, adding, want own way. howard erupted in fury @ such personal attacks, declaring, settle outside. while no fisticuffs resulted, young union s effort project stable , harmonious severely undercut acrimony.

at least 3 local unions of aiu established in chicago middle of may 1895.

out on bail after serving 17 days of 3 month jail sentence contempt of court in association pullman strike, on june 10, 1895, general secretary howard notified , other convicted leaders of american railway union have return jail completion of terms following refusal of united states supreme court overturn convictions. while debs , other aru leaders returned woodstock jail, owing strained relations on aiu howard allowed complete sentence in illinois county jail, serving final 73 days @ county jail in joliet, illinois. extension of aiu hampered leader s removal activity during time.

attendance @ local meetings flagged , while hope held out popular orator eugene debs of aru embrace aiu, no firm endorsement follow. simultaneous release of former aru vice president howard joliet , other directors of aru (except debs) woodstock on august 22 met explicit denial of intention join forces of 2 organizations aru director william burns.

burns declared inquiries of sort have invariably answered know nothing american industrial union. think sufficiently big tub stand on our own bottom.

instead aru announced plan reorganize on basis of secret society in effort avoid blacklisting of members railroad corporations , renewed effort build aru industrial union of railway workers.

termination

the aiu attempted wield influence upon democratic party @ 1896 national convention, dispatching 3 member delegation chicago in july attempt insert 3 planks in party s electoral platform. these included such traditional republican themes establishment of protective tariff eliminate deleterious effects of imported goods made cheap foreign labor , honest money...sufficient in amount transact business of country (a euphemism gold), plank calling arbitration means of solving labor disputes. actual platform gave minor tip of cap last of these 3 proposals, declaring democrats in favor of arbitration of differences between employers engaged in interstate commerce , employees.

unable join forces aru , popular leader eugene debs or generate publicity through launch of cooperative colonies, aiu seems have died quiet death sometime in second half of 1896.

by end of 1898 american federation of labor ridicule former potential rival in unabashedly harsh terms, proclaiming greatest fake union ever perpetrated upon workingmen of or other country, had been populated group of temporary officers-elect, none of whom, af of l contended, had ever been known work living except secretary howard, cripple.