Research On American Workers' Movement During The Cold War (1945-1991)

As one of the two leading protagonists of the Cold War, the United States of America stood on the center of the international arena as the Cold War winner eventuallly. Nevertheless, the Cold War lasting for more than 40 years had great impact on American domestic development. It affected almost every aspect of American society, and American labor movement was among the most affected ones. American labor movement in the Cold War era experienced a booming to declining process. The decline of it had a direct connection with American Cold War policy. The sharp ideological conflict between the US and the USSR was one of the most important factors that triggered the Cold War. In order to occupy the advantageous position in the Cold War confrontations, the US government also waged an anti-communist ideological war at home to safeguard its national security. Anti-communism therefore became the main theme in this period. Owing to the close relationships between the American labor movement and American communists, the labor movement encountered unprecedentedly the harshest attack by American government and the interest groups. Any progressive force related to communism among workers and labor unions had been made target of the attack. Even those who were unrelated to communism had been affected and persecuted. The Cold War had shifted the dominant labor’s struggle for economic benefits to the ideological struggle with the ruling class. As a result, the labor movement began to bear a strong ideological color.The dissertation, based on the present research achievements at home and abroad, adopted the first-hand historical documents of American Department of Labor, the AFL-CIO website, the Digital National Security Archive database (DNSA), the Declassified Documents Reference System database (DDRS), American Congress documents, Historical Statistics of the United States, Statistical Abstract of the United States. As very important historical documents, the historical encyclopedia, the monographs, the periodicals related to American labor history also greatly contributed to the research.The dissertation is composed of an introduction, four chapters and a conclusion.Chapter one traces the historical origin and development of American labor movement from the colonial period to the first half of the 20th century. American labor movement started from the colonial period. In 1827, the establishment of Mechanics’ Union of Trade Associations in Philadelphia constituting the first U.S. labor organization to include workers from more than one trade or craft marked the real beginning of American labor movement. In the first half of the 19th century, the chief goal of the labor movement was to strive for 10-hour workday and there appeared some craft unions then. In the second half of the 19th century, American economy moved toward prosperity but meanwhile formed a sharp contrast with the poor living conditions of workers, which brought about the founding of three most influential national labor unions. Meanwhile, a widespread strike wave swept the country. During the period, the chief goal of the workers was to fight for 8-hour workday, an increase of wage and better working conditions. Starting from the WWI to the 1920s, American labor movement was in decline. The rising of the industrial union movement in the 1930s, supported by American communist party provided new opportunities for American labor movement. In WWII, the shifting war stand of American communist party weakened its influence in the labor movement.Chapter two explores the development of American labor movement in the Cold War era in two stages. The first stage is between 1945 and 1969, during which labor movement was relatively active. Between 1945 and 1946, there occurred a large strike wave nationwide. After the Cold War broke out, though severely attacked by the anti-labor act, the anti-communist purge and McCarthyism, labor movement still managed to develop. In 1955, the merger of the two biggest national labor unions strengthened and empowered American labor movement once again. In the 1960s, labor movement worked together with civil rights movement and anti-war movement. The second stage is between 1970 and 1991, during which American labor movement began to decline. In the 1970s, the anti-labor stand of the federal government and its direct intervention in the labor-management conflicts caused the shrinking of the labor unions and consequently the declining of the labor movement. In the 1980s, affected by President Reagan’s hard-line Cold War policy, American labor movement went on declining.Chapter three analyses the main features of American labor movement in the Cold War era. Under the anti-communist ideological atmosphere, the role of the communist party in the labor movement was exaggerated. As a consequence, labor movement was badly affected by American domestic Cold War policy. The Taft-Hartley Act resulted in the split within the labor unions and undermined labor strengths. The anti-communist purge led to the decline of the first industrial union in American history. The hysterical McCarthyism caused further damage to workers and labor unions. To certain extent, the Cold War also violated workers’ rights for economic equality and social justice. At the same time, the labor union leadership actively supported government Cold War foreign policy and helped the implementation of it abroad.Chapter four makes an appraisal of American labor movement from the perspectives of its nature and effects. The Cold War labor movement was the social movement with both economic and political nature, shrouded with a strong ideological color. Between 1945 and 1947, the labor movement was mainly economic struggle. Ever since then, it was characterized by political struggle as well as economic struggle but with different gemphasis of each on different stages. American labor gains in the Cold War era were limited, mainly reflected in the following aspects:gained some economic benefits during 1945-1947; fought against Taft-Hartley Act and anti-communist purge after the Cold War broke out; produced positive effects on the civil rights movement and anti-war movement.The Cold War had profound impact on American labor movement and was one important factor leading to the decline of American labor movement. It extended American labor movement to the ideological field from the traditional economic field. American government and the interest groups therefore seized the anti-communist opportunity to attack and purge workers and labor unions. This resulted in the internal division and strife of American labor unions, the expansion of the power of the right-wing labor leadership, the distrust of grassroots workers towards the labor union. Consequently, the strength of the labor union was undermined, and American labor movement moved toward decline.