The Cause of the Decline of the Labor Union Movement, in 1920’s America. Essay

The Cause of the Decline of The Labor Union Movement, In 1920’s America.

The vastly popular labor union movement in the United States grew rapidly throughout the industrial revolution and throughout World War I, as a result of unfair business and labor practices and corporations taking gross advantage of their employers. By 1920, the total membership of American Federation of Labor unions amounted to 4,093,000 members in the United States. (Morris) After World War I, The United States experienced a great economic boom and feverish interest in capitalism and corporate power causing many of the efforts of labor leaders and union members to be diminished and downplayed during the whole of the 1920’s. The Progressivism social reform movements became thwarted by isolationism and conservative fears over The Red Scare. After World War I, Communism had been cropping up in many countries and many became fearful and paranoid of an uprising/plans for a takeover, as was feared happening across the seas. At the time, the labor union movement in America was strong and at 103% interest inflation rate for the cost of living, the economy was in turmoil giving laborers fair reason to strike against the business class who worked them under inhumane conditions for inadequate pay. The wealthy class became entirely distrustful of their lower class counterparts and in their eyes; workers were not to be trusted. In order to prevent a union uprising, like those that were happening overseas in Russia, many union leaders received unconstitutional treatment, many who were native born were jailed, while those who were born elsewhere were often deported. By 1920, the political atmosphere in America had become overwhelmingly conservative. In conjunction with red scare fears, the end of the war left a bitter taste in the mouths of many and Americans were looking for a change in