The United Mine Workers of America (UMW) was a labor union that represented coal miners in the United States. The UMW was founded in 1890 and was one of the most powerful labor unions in the country during the early 20th century. However, in the 1920s, the UMW experienced a period of decline and by the 1930s it had lost much of its power.
In 1946, the UMW decided to rejoin the American Federation of Labor (AFL), a federation of labor unions in the United States. This decision was made in an effort to regain some of the union’s lost power and to gain access to the resources and support of the AFL. The UMW had previously been affiliated with the AFL, but had left the federation in 1913 due to disagreements over organizing strategy.
The UMW’s re-entry into the AFL was a significant event in the history of the American labor movement. It marked the beginning of a resurgence of the UMW, which would go on to become one of the most powerful labor unions in the country again. The UMW’s re-entry into the AFL also helped to strengthen the federation as a whole, as the UMW was one of the largest and most influential unions in the country.
The UMW’s re-entry into the AFL also had a significant impact on the coal industry. The UMW’s renewed strength helped to improve the wages and working conditions for coal miners, and the union played a key role in the passage of the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, which guaranteed the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively.
References:
https://umwa.org/about/history/
https://www.gem.wiki/United_Mine_Workers
https://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/05/us/mine-workers-request-ties-with-afl-cio.html
