California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO

Administrative History

The California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO ("the Federation") was founded in 1901 as the California State Federation of Labor. It was the most important successor to several earlier labor organizations, such as the Federated Trades Council of San Francisco, and the Knights of Labor in Los Angeles. The state federation played an early role in coordinating labor union activities throughout the state, even though labor power was focused primarily in the urban centers of San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno and Los Angeles.

The Federation's formation was a milestone in California labor history. The state's rapid growth after the discovery of gold, and the comparatively early urbanization of the city of San Francisco, created conditions where progressive and enterprising immigrants and citizens could thrive. They joined together to build communities, form businesses and develop social institutions, often with utopian ideals and a commitment to assisting working people. The region drew immigrants from around the world, and they developed a cosmopolitan and boisterous society in San Francisco. This setting spawned all sorts of social activism, with trade unionism in the forefront. Much the same can be said of the labor movement that arose in the Los Angeles area.

The early spread of unionism throughout the state gave rise to journalistic hyperbole. For example, in 1904, Ray Stannard Baker described San Francisco as the city "Where Unionism Holds Undisputed Sway." (See the California Labor History Map, for in-depth coverage of California's labor history: http://calpedia.sfsu.edu/calabor/ ). It was from this unique, activist heritage that the California Federation of Labor, the Congress of Industrial Organizations, and the merged Federation arose, and they continued to carry the ideals of California's early settlers forward as they grew. As they grew over time, each organization played important roles in the development of California's economy and society.

This digital collection was funded by the University of California Labor and Employment Research Fund (LERF). The Fund enabled the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment Library to digitize a large percentage of the Federation's publications.