Question

Which statement is the best summary of the tactics used by the American Federation of Labor?

a The American Federation of Labor focused primarily on political means to achieve their labor goals.
b The American Federation of Labor used violent means to try and achieve their labor goals.
c The American Federation of Labor used strikes and blamed the Chinese.
d The American Federation of Labor tried to avoid strikes and set up unions for skilled workers."

Answer 1

The American Federation of Labor, under Samuel Gompers, focused on organizing skilled workers into unions and primarily used collective bargaining and strikes to negotiate for better wages and working conditions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The American Federation of Labor (AFL), founded by Samuel Gompers, was built upon the idea that skilled workers should be united through individual unions and represented by a larger federation. The AFL employed various tactics to achieve its goals of better wages, shorter work weeks, and the establishment of closed shops, where only union members would be employed. The preferred method was collective bargaining, but the AFL supported strikes as a key tactic as well. Nonetheless, Gompers and the AFL leadership often sought to avoid strikes due to the negative consequences they could bring upon workers, such as forceful dispersal by the police or military, and jailing of union leaders. Despite these challenges, the AFL had numerous successes, including the establishment of 8-hour workdays and increasing pay for its members.