A detailed look at early 20th-century labor relations and wage debates.
This volume draws from the proceedings of the Commission on Industrial Relations and related exhibits to illuminate how employers, workers, and unions discussed pay, hours, arbitration, and collective bargaining in the United States. It highlights the conversations, stenographic records, and practical concerns surrounding the garment trades and other industries, offering a grounded view of how labor policy was shaped in that era.
- Direct exchanges between labor leaders and reformers, exploring goals, limits, and possible outcomes of union and political activity.
- Detailed discussions on arbitration, mediation, and the role of strikes when agreements could not be reached.
- Inside look at wage structures, hours, overtime, and the economics of garment production and labor costs.
- Context through exhibits and testimonies that show how industrial education, housing, and regulation intersect with work life.
Ideal for readers of labor history, industrial policy, and early 20th-century American social reform.