Which organization of craft unions focused on improving wages and working conditions?

American Federation of Labor

Industrial Workers of the World

Knights of Labor

American Railway Union

Question: Which organization of craft unions focused on improving wages and working conditions?

Options:

American Federation of Labor Industrial Workers of the World Knights of Labor American Railway Union

Answer: The correct answer is: American Federation of Labor.

Explanation: The American Federation of Labor, abbreviated as AFL, was founded in the year 1886. It was officially led by Samuel Gompers who served until the year of 1925. The AFL was a loosely affiliated association of skilled craft unions and it focused on improving wages, shortening hours, and bettering working conditions. Samuel Gompers' mantra was ''Keep it simple.'' He was a diehard capitalist and didn't see a need for radical restructuring of America. Gompers quickly learned that the issues that workers cared about most deeply were personal and those issues would always unite the labor class but he had no visions nor intentions of uniting the entire working class. Gompers knew that the AFL would have more political and economic power if unskilled workers were excluded. During Samuel Gompers' presidency, the AFL rose to more than 4 million members by the year 1920. Later its membership declined until 1933, when it was not much more than 2 million. The purpose of the AFL was known as organizing skilled workers into national unions consisting of others in the same trade. This purpose was not political at all, and aimed mainly and simply at shorter hours, higher wages, and better working conditions.

The correct answer is A. The American Federation of Labor was founded in 1886 by Samuel Gompers. It was formed by several unions of skilled white workers. It mainly focused on improving wages, shorter hours and better working conditions for workers.