A Study On The Role Of The National Association Of Manufacturers In The Industrial And Labor Relationship(1903-1914)

The activities of employers play important roles in the industrial and labor relationship,even in the entirety trend of the labor history.The National Association of Manufacturers is a typical employer association which played an important role in the field of industrial and labor relationship from 1903 to 1914.This article analyzes the theoretical foundation,major activities and effects of the NAM,and explores the standpoint,strategy and tactics of employers.On these grounds,this article tries to get a more comprehensive view of the causes,processes and effects of labor conflicts,in order to study the American labor history with multi dimension.This article is divided into three parts in addition to the preface and conclusion.The first part summarizes the situation of the industrial and labor relationship in American in the end of the 19 th century and the beginning of the 20 th century.On this basis,this part discusses the establishment and development of the NAM,and its values and core beliefs in industrial relations.The second part introduces the ways which the NAM used to influence the industrial and labor relationship which include propaganda,litigation and affect the legislative processes.Firstly,it focuses on the NAM's propaganda.The NAM tried to influence American attitude about the industrial and labor relationship by theory propaganda and public opinion leading.Its main method includes published official publication American Industries,organized the Citizen' Industrial Association of American and push on the Open Shop.Secondly,it explores how the NAM attacked the labor unions by litigations.It instituted legal proceedings rely on the conservative judicial system,and in accordance with the 14 th Amendment to the Constitution and the Sherman Antitrust Act.And in this aspect,injunction was regarded as a core weapon.Finally,it shows how the NAM affected the legislative processes by lobbying and influencing the election.It mainly focused on the modifications to the Sherman Antitrust Act and the formulation of the laws about working hours.The third part analyzes the effects of the NAM.On the whole,what it had done between 1903 and 1914 had some success,but it had serious limitations in theory and practice.The NAM is the employers' associations' epitome,which came into being plentifully in the end of the 19 th century and the beginning of the 20 th century.And the NAM is the epitome of that period,in which all of the social strata is moving in an organized direction.