“An Historical Overview of Labor Unions in the United States,” a six-part video series made available by the Wisconsin Labor History Society, takes us through the struggle to organize from centuries past to the present day. Each segment  is heavily illustrated.

Local unions, labor councils, school classes and other  groups will find the segments, each from nine to eighteen minutes in length, ideal for showing as part of a meeting.  The series was produced by James Brown, of Waukesha, a veteran videographer.  Narration by Jim Cavanaugh, retired president of the South Central Federation of Labor.  Written by Waylon Hedegaard, Jim Cavanaugh and James Brown.  Script consultants, Michael Gordon and Dexter Arnold.  Partial support was provided by the Wisconsin Labor History Society.

Start watching now on You Tube:

Part One: Guilds and the Industrial Revolution

Part Two: Workers Fight Back

Part Three: The Progressive Era

Part Four: Depression and the War

Part Five: Taft-Hartley to the Chrysler Concessions

Part Six: PATCO to the Present

A study guide is available in a PDF format.  Click here.