Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, believed the role of unions was to provide better wages, job security, and benefits. His goal was to achieve this through

As president of American Federation of Labor between 1886 - 1924, Samuel Gompers strived to ensure better working conditions for all unionized workers.

He maintained that to achieve these goals the best way was through collective bargaining agreements and all legislation that affected workers. By the use of these means, he was able to achieve solid gains for the workers during his tenure in office.