Background on Cambridge Central Labor Union
The Central Labor Union was active in the Boston and Cambridge area as early as the 1870s, and by the turn of the twentieth century, the Cambridge Central Labor Union was a thriving organization. The union included representatives from many of the major crafts in the city, usually acting in an advisory capacity rather than exerting direct control, all in the effort to improve conditions for workers. They were active in many of the significant labor campaigns of the day, including the struggle for an eight hour day, the regulation of child labor, and the fight for collective bargaining. By the late 1930s, the Cambridge Central Labor Union was said to represent nearly 30,000 workers in the city.
