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labor, in economics

(Encyclopedia)labor, term used both for the effort of performing a task and for the workers engaged in the activity. In ancient times much of the work was done by slaves (see slavery). In the feudal period agricult...

Labor Relations Act

(Encyclopedia)Labor Relations Act: see National Labor Relations Board; Taft-Hartley Labor Act. ...

Brookwood Labor College

(Encyclopedia)Brookwood Labor College, at Katonah, N.Y.; founded in 1921 in association with the American Federation of Labor as an experimental college. Brookwood was an attempt to create an alternative to traditi...

Socialist Labor party

(Encyclopedia)Socialist Labor party, in the United States, begun in 1877 by New York City socialists. Its membership came largely from German-American workingmen. During the 1880s a national organization was establ...

Mitchell, John

(Encyclopedia)Mitchell, John, 1870–1919, American labor leader, b. Braidwood, Ill. He became a miner at the age of 12 and in 1885 joined the Knights of Labor. When the United Mine Workers of America was formed (1...

Gompers, Samuel

(Encyclopedia)Gompers, Samuel gŏmˈpərz [key], 1850–1924, American labor leader, b. London. He emigrated to the United States with his parents in 1863. He worked as a cigar maker and in 1864 joined the local un...

Fair Labor Standards Act

(Encyclopedia)Fair Labor Standards Act or Wages and Hours Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1938 to establish minimum living standards for workers engaged directly or indirectly in interstate commerce, including ...

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