Trade unions are groups of workers who organized together for the purpose of improving their economic status and working conditions through collective bargaining with their employers.

Wisconsin's first labor unions were formed in Milwaukee, the bricklayers in 1847 and the carpenters in 1848. Other early unions developed in trades connected to transportation, clothing, and printing.

Shoemakers founded the Knights of St. Crispin in 1867, Wisconsin's first national trade union organization, which quickly grew to be the largest union in the nation.

The Ship Carpenters and Caulkers Association called the first successful strike in 1848, though strikes remained fairly infrequent and small-scale until the later part of the 19th century.

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Trade unions in Wisconsin

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[Source: Turning Points in Wisconsin History; Columbia Encyclopedia]