Important Years In American Labor History -- 1648 to 1825

1648 -- Coopers (barrel makers) and Shoemakers guilds founded in Boston; the earliest known unions in America.

1778 -- New York City printers strike for a minimum wage.

1792 -- Shoemakers in Philadelphia start a local union.

1794 -- Typesetters in New York City start a local union.

1806 -- The Union of Philadelphia Journeymen Cordwainers was convicted of and bankrupted by charges of criminal conspiracy after a strike for higher wages, setting a precedent by which the United States government would fight unions for years to come.

1825 -- The first strike for a ten-hour work day by carpenters occurred in Boston.

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