During the mid-twentieth century, the American Labor Movement reached a pinnacle of power and influence within society. The extent of labor's reach was often seen in its concerted efforts to secure better pay, better working conditions and reliable pensions for its members. This digital repository enables scholars to study broad trends in U.S. labor and industrial relations by providing access to original materials from a variety of authors, organizations and government agencies, which together provide a multi-disciplinary perspective on the life and times of the labor movement between 1945 and 1980. The collection includes original documents, pamphlets, company publications, union reports, student papers and theses, and is divided into five areas of focus: General Labor; Longshore Workers; Minority Workers; Older Workers; and Personnel Policies.

During the mid-twentieth century, the American Labor Movement reached a pinnacle of power and influence within society. The Second World War required that labor be managed as a strategic resource; the high productivity of workers during the war carried over in the peace time economy, which experienced a sustained economic "boom." Unlike European labor relations, where unions play an "official" role in government, the American trade union system does not allow for an official "place at the table" for unions. U.S. labor unions nonetheless wielded extensive political power and also were in a position to influence social policy in a wide of array of areas.

1,169 items 1,169 digital objects

All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Library.

Collection is open for research.