What is the difference between afl and cio

As a federation of unions, the AFL-CIO represents workers in diverse industries throughout the United States and works to win higher pay and better working conditions for its members. With a history stretching back to the late 19 th century, the federation has evolved alongside advances in technology and changes in the economy.

Known simply as the American Federation of Labor AFL at its founding in , the Congress of Industrial Organizations CIO was added in to represent the coming together of two different sectors of the labor movement.

On this day in , a split occurred in the labor movement over how unions should be organized. Unlike many unions today, members of the early AFL were not organized along industry lines, but were organized according to skilled trade or craft.

But as technology advanced and mass production increased, large numbers of unskilled workers also began to organize. Working in industries such as coal mining, steel production, and garment manufacturing, these workers did not fit neatly into the categories found in the established unions of the AFL.

The new committee was dedicated to organizing industrial unions inclusive of both skilled and unskilled workers. The committee and its members were formally expelled from the AFL in , creating a rival labor federation: The Congress of Industrial Organizations.

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