Rochester Labor Council History: Organizing

Topics » Organizing

Overview

Rochester’s central labor bodies have played a significant role in organizing:

• Helping to organize locals of workers in specific occupations, often as part of national organizing campaigns
• Affiliating Rochester-area local unions with the central body itself
• Coordinating Mutual Support for organizing activities

Organizing: 1855 - 1909

Organizing was largely a local matter for Rochester’s early Trades Assemblies. This changed with the emergence of strong national labor bodies, as organizing campaigns were conducted in Rochester by the Knights of Labor (1881-1882) and the American Federation of Labor (1888-1890), supported by the District Assembly 44 and the Rochester Trades Assembly, respectively. Read more »

For detailed lists of unions organized during this period, see Era 1 Affiliates »

Organizing: 1910 - 1959

The AFL launched several organizing initiatives which the Central Trades & Labor Council implemented in Rochester: the Labor Forward movement (1915-1917), a major campaign following passage of the National Industrial Recovery Act (1933-1935), and a Gompers Centennial year drive (1950) in which the CTLC played a regional role. Local organizing was characterized (1935-1959) by the rivalry between the Central Trades & Labor Council (AFL) and the Rochester & Vicinity Industrial Union Council (CIO). Read more »

For detailed lists of unions organized during this period, see Era 2 Affiliates »

Organizing: 1960 - 2005

The Rochester & Vicinity Labor Council, AFL-CIO undertook a major organizing campaign (1960-1962) following the merger of Rochester’s two central councils. Since then organizing efforts have increasingly become the responsibility of international unions while Central Labor Councils, including Rochester’s, have focused mainly on providing logistical and other support to local campaigns. The regional labor federation structure initiated by the AFL-CIO in 2001 did not change the organizing role of CLCs, nor did the Change To Win challenge to the AFL-CIO (2005-2006), though based in part on differing organizing strategies. Read more »

For detailed lists of unions organized during this period, see Era 3 Affiliates »