True, in none of these years did the labor movement add over
half a million members as in the memorable year of 1886; nevertheless,
from the standpoint of permanence, the upheaval during the eighties can
scarcely be classed with the one which began in the late nineties.
During 1898 the membership of the American Federation of Labor remained
practically stationary, but during 1899 it increased by about 70,000 (to
about 350,000); in 1900, it increased by 200,000; in 1901, by 240,000;
in 1902, by 237,000; in 1903, by 441,000; in 1904, by 210,000, bringing
the total to 1,676,000. In 1905 a backward tide set in; and the
membership decreased by nearly 200,000 during that year. It remained
practically stationary until 1910, when the upward movement was resumed,
finally bringing the membership to near the two million mark, to
1,996,000, in 1913. If we include organizations unaffiliated with the
Federation, among them the bricklayers[44] and the four railway
brotherhoods, with about 700,000 members, the union membership for 1913
will be brought near a total of 2,700,000.
A better index of progress is the proportion of organized workers to
organizable workers.
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