The Free Federation of Workers (, FLT) was a

union federation Organizers within trade unions have sought to increase the bargaining power of workers in regards to collective bargaining by acting in collaboration with other trade unions. Multi-union organizing can take place on an informal basis, or on a ...

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

. It was founded in 1899 and initially led by

Santiago Iglesias Pantín Santiago Iglesias Pantín (February 22, 1872 – December 5, 1939), was a Spanish-born Puerto Rican socialist and trade union activist. Iglesias is best remembered as a leading supporter of statehood for Puerto Rico, and as the Resident Commis ...

. Its political arm became the

Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of th ...

, founded in 1915. It affiliated with 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 ...

in October 1901, and it grew increasingly close to the AFL's conservative approach to unionism. This led to the creation of the rival General Confederation of Workers (CGT) in the 1930s. The FLT and CGT later merged and formed the basis of the

Puerto Rico Federation of Labor Puerto, a Spanish word meaning ''seaport'', may refer to: Places *El Puerto de Santa María, Andalusia, Spain *Puerto, a seaport town in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines *Puerto Colombia, Colombia *Puerto Cumarebo, Venezuela *Puerto Galera, Oriental Mi ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Free Federation Of Workers Political history of Puerto Rico 1899 establishments in Puerto Rico National federations of trade unions Trade unions in Puerto Rico Trade unions established in 1899 Worker wings of political parties