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Difficulty: MediumWorld War I: Mobilization and the Home Front

“The right of workers to organize in trade-unions and to bargain collectively through chosen representatives is recognized and affirmed. This right shall not be denied, abridged, or interfered with by the employers in any manner whatsoever. . . . Existing safeguards and regulations for the protection of the health and safety of workers shall not be relaxed.”
— National War Labor Board, Principles and Policies, 1918

Which of the following developments on the home front during World War I is best illustrated by the excerpt?

  1. A
    The passage of permanent New Deal legislation that guaranteed collective bargaining rights for all private-sector employees.
  2. B
    The federal government's strict adherence to Gilded Age laissez-faire principles by refusing to intervene in disputes between workers and industrial employers.
  3. The federal government's willingness to cooperate with organized labor in order to prevent strikes and secure uninterrupted factory production.Answer
  4. D
    A major decline in industrial employment resulting from the government's pursuit of strict economic isolationism.

Answer

The federal government's willingness to cooperate with organized labor in order to prevent strikes and secure uninterrupted factory production.
The correct answer is correct because the National War Labor Board was established by the Wilson administration in 1918 to resolve labor disputes that might disrupt wartime production. In exchange for a 'no-strike' pledge from labor unions, the federal government supported the right of workers to organize, bargain collectively, and work an eight-hour day. This represented an unprecedented degree of cooperation between the federal government and organized labor to ensure continuous manufacturing output for the war effort.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source document, noting its author (National War Labor Board) and date (1918). Observe that the policy guarantees workers the right to organize and bargain collectively.
Identify that the document represents federal government intervention in labor relations during World War I.
Understanding the source and its context is necessary to evaluate which historical development it illustrates.
2
Recall the goals of World War I mobilization, specifically the need to maximize industrial output and prevent labor disputes that could halt production.
Connect the government's support for union rights with the goal of securing a 'no-strike' pledge from workers.
This establishes the causal link between the policy and wartime mobilization strategies.
3
Evaluate the given options to find the one that matches this wartime cooperation between the state and organized labor, while eliminating distractors that reference different eras or incorrect policies.
Select the option stating that the policy reflects cooperation to prevent strikes and ensure uninterrupted production, while rejecting options about laissez-faire, New Deal reforms, or isolationism.
This identifies the correct choice based on historical evidence and chronological accuracy.

Key Concept

Wartime Labor Cooperation and Mobilization
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Topics

World War I: Mobilization and the Home Front

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