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Revised July 2005.
What are the most important differences between IWW and AFL?While the AFL primarily organized workers into their respective crafts, the IWW was created as an industrial union, placing all workers in a factory, mine, mill, or other place of business into the same industrial organization. The IWW also promotes the class-based concept of One Big Union.
How did the Industrial Workers of the world differ from the American Federation of Labor in the late 1800s?How did the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) differ from the American Federation of Labor (AF of L) in the late 1800s? The IWW attempted to unite skilled and unskilled workers, while the AF of L organized skilled workers only.
How was the American Federation of Labor different from other labor unions?Samuel Gompers was the unionist who helped found the American Federation of Labor. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was a loose amalgamation of skilled craft unions, in contrast to other unions that admitted unskilled laborers.
What was a major difference between the Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor?The AFL focused on winning economic benefits for its members through collective bargaining. As a federation, it represented several national craft unions that each retained autonomous operations. The Knights, by contrast, represented both craft and unskilled workers in a single national union.
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