The Museum Will Be Closed July 4th-5th
The Museum Will Be Closed July 4th-5th
As the driving force behind the rise of industrial unionism, Lewis empowered millions of workers to organize, demand fair treatment, and secure the dignity they deserved on the job. His leadership helped lay the foundation for many of the core rights and benefits union members now consider essential — from health and retirement plans to safe working conditions and fair wages.
Lewis’s journey began in the coal mines of Lucas, Iowa, where he saw firsthand the dangers and injustices faced by working people. His early experiences as a young miner sparked a lifelong commitment to protecting workers and improving their lives. From these Iowa roots, Lewis rose to become a national voice for labor — grounded in Midwestern values and forged in solidarity.
Lewis’s legacy lives on in every modern labor contract, every job protected by union strength, and every voice raised in solidarity. The laws he helped shape and the institutions he built still serve working families today. The labor movement owes him a deep debt of gratitude — not only for what he accomplished in his own time, but for the generations of progress his leadership made possible.
From 100,000 to over 500,000 members under his leadership.
Organized millions of workers in steel, auto, rubber, and electrical industries.
By the early 1940s, the CIO represented over 4 million workers.
Negotiated the first union-administered health and retirement funds for coal miners.
Instrumental in passing the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 – establishing the 40-hour workweek, overtime pay, and child labor restrictions.
Helped advance the National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act), guaranteeing collective bargaining rights.
John L. Lewis was the driving force behind the founding of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, which established the United Steel Workers of America and helped organize millions of other industrial workers.
