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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | April 8, 1918 |
| Dissolved | May 31, 1919 |
| Jurisdiction | Federal government of the United States |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Employees | 250 |
| Agency executive |
|
TheNational War Labor Board (NWLB) was anagency of theUnited States government established on April 8, 1918 to mediate labor disputes duringWorld War I.
The board was appointed byPresidentWoodrow Wilson. It was composed of twelve members, including five representatives each from business and theAmerican Federation of Labor (AFL), as well as co-chairsFrank P. Walsh and former presidentWilliam Howard Taft.
The decisions of the NWLB generally supported and strengthened the position of labor. Although it opposed the disruption of war production bystrikes, it supported an eight-hour day for workers, equal pay for women, and the right to organizeunions andbargain collectively. Although the NWLB had no coercive enforcement power, public pressure during the war period often led to voluntary agreements between labor and employers.[1] Notably, when Western Union refused to bargain with its employees that had joined the Commercial Telegraphers Union of America, President Woodrow Wilson ordered the temporary nationalization of Western Union's vast telegram line network for the duration of the war to avoid a strike.[2] This action gave the NWLB far more power in its work for the rest of the war, and strengthened the position of labor during the time.[1]
In general, the relative strength of organized labor in America grew substantially during the war. Union membership almost doubled after the formation of the NWLB. Of note, membership in the AFL rose from two million in 1916 to over three million in 1919. By the end of the decade, fifteen percent of the nonagricultural work force was unionized.
In all, the board ruled on 1,245 cases.[3] Almost ninety percent of them sprang from worker complaints, and five skilled trades accounted for 45 percent. Of the cases, 591 were dismissed, 315 were referred to other federal labor agencies, and 520 resulted in formal awards or findings. In reaching decisions, the board was aided by an office and investigative staff of 250 people. Approximately seven hundred thousand workers in one thousand establishments were directly affected.
The board was disbanded on August 12, 1919.[4]
The twelve members of the board were:[5]
Following the resignation of Walsh as one of the co-chairs in December of 1918, he was replaced by his assistant Basil M. Manly.[1]
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