Which organization represented industrial unionism and played a major role in labor organizing in the 1930s?

• A. American Federation of Labor (AFL)
• B. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
• C. IWW
• D. Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO)

Answer: (D)

Industrial unionism means organizing workers by industry, bringing together everyone who works in a particular field, regardless of craft. In the 1930s, the Congress of Industrial Organizations embraced this approach and actively organized large groups of workers in major industries like auto, steel, and rubber. This shift away from craft-only unions allowed mass union representation and powerful collective action during a time when New Deal reforms and labor protections were expanding. The CIO’s campaigns and victories—often through broad-based organizing and strikes—were pivotal in strengthening the labor movement and expanding union membership. By contrast, the AFL focused on skilled trades and craft unions, the IWW had waning influence by then, and the NLRB is a government agency, not a labor organization. So the organization most associated with industrial unionism and major 1930s labor organizing is the CIO.