【美国人物志】五个劳工领袖 (3/9)

英语自学网

在二十世纪初，美国的劳动者往往工作相当长的时间才能得到很少的工资，甚至有许多是在极其危险的条件下工作的。然而，大约有五百万的工人已加入了一个称为工会的群体，渴望能改善他们的处境。下面讲述的是5个致力于改善和提高工人工作环境的工会领袖。
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John L. Lewis
United Mine Workers of America
Committee for Industrial Organization
National Labor Relations ActJohn L. Lewis expanded the American labor movement with a campaign he called organizing the unorganized. Lewis was the head of the United Mine Workers of America. He also was the vice-president of the AFL.
In 1935, Lewis formed the Committee for Industrial Organization within the AFL. He wanted the CIO to organize workers in mass production industries, such as automobile industry. The AFL mainly organized unions of workers who had the same skills. But Lewis believed skilled and unskilled workers in the same industry should be organized into the same union.
Congress passed the National Labor Relations Act in 1935. It gave workers the legal right to join unions and to negotiate with employers. John L. Lewis thought it was the right time to press the large industries to recognize workers' rights.
The AFL, however, decided not to support such action and expelled the unions that belonged to the CIO. In 1936, the CIO began operating as another national labor organization. Lewis was its leader.