In the late 19th century, many workers turned away from utopian ideas that emphasized the elimination of the wage system and the establishment of producer cooperatives toward "bread and butter" unionism emphasizing better pay, higher wages, and improved working conditions. The most successful unions were confined to the skilled crafts.

Progressive era reformers sought to establish government regulation of labor conditions, protective legislation for women workers (including maximum hours laws), abolition of child labor, and adoption of workmen's compensation laws. "Progressive" business leaders favored adoption of seniority systems and pensions to stabilize their labor force.

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, tThe Wagner Act (National Labor Relations Act) protected the right of workers to organize and to elect their representatives for collective bargaining. During World War II, women and racial minorities entered industry in large numbers and after the war the labor movement formed large unions that cut across occupations and industries.