Gabriel Edmonston (March 29, 1839 – May 16, 1918) was an American labor unionist and carpenter. Born in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, Edmonston trained as a carpenter. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

, he served in the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighti ...

, in the

First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia The First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia (or Longstreet's Corps) was a military unit fighting for the Confederate States of America in the American Civil War. It was formed in early 1861 and served until the spring of 1865, mostly in the Eas ...

, being taken prisoner on four occasions, and wounded twice. After the war, Edmonston returned to Washington. He came to believe that carpenters needed to form labor unions in order to improve their pay and working conditions, and in 1881, he formed a local union. He argued that it should admit all carpenters, regardless of ethnicity, nationality or religion. Later in the year, he played a role in founding the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, becoming its first president. In 1881/1882, Edmonston served as president of the UBC. The UBC affiliated to the

Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions of the United States and Canada (FOTLU) was a federation of labor unions created on November 15, 1881, at Turner Hall in Pittsburgh. It changed its name to the American Federation of Labor (AF ...

, and Edmonston served as its secretary in 1884/1885. While in office, he was the first to propose an

eight hour day The eight-hour day movement (also known as the 40-hour week movement or the short-time movement) was a social movement to regulate the length of a working day, preventing excesses and abuses. An eight-hour work day has its origins in the 16 ...

. The federation transformed into 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 mutua ...

, with Edmonston becoming its first treasurer, serving until 1889, when he stood down to devote his time to his local union in Washington. Around this time, he also served as official carpenter to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edmonston, Gabriel 1839 births 1918 deaths American carpenters Secretary-Treasurers of the American Federation of Labor American trade union leaders Confederate States Army soldiers People from Washington, D.C.