Adolph Strasser (1843–1939), born in the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

, was an American

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

organizer. Strasser is best remembered as a founder of the United Cigarmakers Union and the

American Federation of Labor The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was a national federation of labor unions in the United States that continues today as the AFL-CIO. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions eager to provide mutual ...

(AF of L). Strasser was additionally the president of the Cigar Makers' International Union for a period of 14 years, heading the union during the period in which it introduced its successful

union label A union label (sometimes called a union bug) is a label, mark or emblem which advertises that the employees who make a product or provide a service are represented by the labor union or group of unions whose label appears, in order to attract cust ...

and gained substantial organizational strength.

Biography

Early years

Adolph Strasser was born in the

in 1843. He was a native speaker of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

.Patricia A. Cooper, ''Once a Cigar Maker: Men, Women, and Work Culture in American Cigar Factories, 1900-1919.'' Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1987; pg. 20. Strasser emigrated to the United States in 1871 or perhaps 1872.Merl E. Reed, "Adolph Strasser," in Gary M. Fink (ed.), ''Biographical Dictionary of American Labor.'' Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1984; pp. 532-533. After his arrival in America, Strasser worked at the craft of cigar making, taking up residence and employment in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

."Adolph Strasser" in Stuart B. Kaufman (ed.), ''The Samuel Gompers Papers: Volume 1: The Making of a Union Leader, 1850-86.'' Urbana, IL: Illinois University Press, 1986; pg. 504. In his posthumous memoirs fellow cigarmaker

Samuel Gompers Samuel Gompers (; January 27, 1850December 11, 1924) was a British-born American cigar maker, labor union leader and a key figure in American labor history. Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and served as the organization's ...

recalled his impressions of Strasser from the time he met him in 1872:

"Strasser was a man of extraordinary mentality. He came to America some months before, traveling considerably through the South before settling in New York City. He had been identified with the IWA (International Workingmen's Association) and became a leader of American Section 5. Then for a while he was exceedingly active in the work of the Social Democratic Party. He shifted all his energy to the trade union movement when he came to understand the unsoundness and impracticability of Socialist Party policy and philosophy or, as Strasser called it, 'sophistry.' * * *

"Strasser had a keen practical mind... No one knew Strasser's early life and no one asked him questions lightly, for Strasser had a terse bluntness of expression in English and in German that made even the most venturesome hesitate to take liberties. Whether he learned cigarmaking in Europe or the United States I do not know, but he did not make cigars as one who had learned the trade in his youth.... It was often said that Strasser came of a well-to-do cultured Hungarian family. At any rate, he looked the part. He must have had some little means, for he dressed well even when he gave all his time to the International nionfor a salary of $250 a year."

While Gompers is unclear about the date of Strasser's break with the

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

movement, it is known that in 1874 Strasser helped to organize the

Social Democratic Workingmen's Party of the United States The Social-Democratic Workingmen's Party of North America (SDWP or SDWPNA) was a Lassallist socialist party. History In 1868, German language, German-speaking members of the International Workingmen's Association in America (IWA) in New York C ...

, one of the first International Socialist

political parties A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...

in North America. Moreover, continued his activity in its successor organizations, which culminated as the

Socialist Labor Party The Socialist Labor Party (SLP)"The name of this organization shall be Socialist Labor Party". Art. I, Sec. 1 of thadopted at the Eleventh National Convention (New York, July 1904; amended at the National Conventions 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920, 192 ...

at the end of 1877.

Career

In the course of this activity, Strasser became involved in the

movement, initially helping to found the United Cigarmakers Union, concentrating for its members upon those

tenement A tenement is a type of building shared by multiple dwellings, typically with flats or apartments on each floor and with shared entrance stairway access. They are common on the British Isles, particularly in Scotland. In the medieval Old Town, E ...

-based workers excluded from membership in the Cigar Makers International Union (CMIU). Strasser soon joined forces with the CMIU, editing the monthly magazine established by that union in 1875, the ''Cigar Makers' Official Journal.''Cooper, ''Once a Cigar Maker,'' pg. 22. In 1876 and 1877 Strasser was instrumental in helping to establish a central body bringing together New York City's various local trade unions. Strasser was elected vice president of the Cigar Makers' International Union in 1876 and president in 1877. He continued to serve in that capacity until stepping down from the job in 1891. During Strasser's term as head of the CMIU the organization began to win strikes which it had previously lost. Between 1871 and 1875 the union had waged 78 strikes, winning just 12, but in the years from 1876 to 1881 a total of 69 strikes had been fought, with 58 resolved in favor of the striking cigar workers. Strasser was a close ally of Samuel Gompers, siding with him in the early 1880s against the Socialist "Progressive" faction of the Cigarmakers' Union in a split of the union. Strasser also fought against New York's District Assembly 49 of the

Knights of Labor The Knights of Labor (K of L), officially the Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of Labor, was the largest American labor movement of the 19th century, claiming for a time nearly one million members. It operated in the United States as well in ...

for its support of the Progressive Cigarmakers. In 1886 Strasser was one of five signatories to a call for a convention in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

, which was to formally establish the

(AF of L). Gompers and Strasser were outspoken opponents of the

system of production, in which raw materials were provided to workers for manufacture at home. Under their leadership the CMIU attempted to outlaw the practice of home work outright rather than making any effort to organize cigar workers engaged in that form of production. In 1881 the CMIU adopted use of a special "Blue Label" to denote union-made cigars.Cooper, ''Once a Cigar Maker,'' pg. 21. Following his retirement as CMIU president in 1891 he continued to work for the union as an organizer and auditor. He also was active in the

as a lecturer,

lobbyist Lobbying is a form of advocacy, which lawfully attempts to directly influence legislators or government officials, such as regulatory agencies or judiciary. Lobbying involves direct, face-to-face contact and is carried out by various entities, in ...

, and arbitrator of jurisdictional disputes between competing

craft union Craft unionism refers to a model of trade unionism in which workers are organised based on the particular craft or trade in which they work. It contrasts with industrial unionism, in which all workers in the same industry are organized into the sa ...

Later years

Strasser left the trade union movement in 1914, becoming a

real estate agent Real estate agents and real estate brokers are people who represent sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and age ...

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

, for the next five years. In 1919 Strasser retired, living first in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

through 1929. In 1930 Strasser moved to Daytona Beach, located on the Atlantic coast of the state of

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, where he lived out the last decade of his life.

Death and legacy

Adolph Strasser died on January 1, 1939, in

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. Located along Interstate 4, I-4 east of Tampa and southwest of Orlando, Florida, Orlando, it is the List of municipalities in Florida, most populous city in Polk County. As of the 2020 ...

. He was 95 years old at the time of his death.

Biography

Early years

Career

Later years

Death and legacy

Footnotes

Further reading