100 Years Hand-in-hand:
An analysis of the AFL-CIO
handshake symbol
by Kim Munson, art historian
Text © 2009 Kim Munson. Based on an earlier version presented at SFSU in 2006. Images used for academic/educational purposes only.

First union label of the
American Federation of Labor (AFL),
1894
Labor omnia vincit (“labor conquers all”)
Hal Morgan, Symbols of America, 1960.

Samuel Gompers (1850-1924), Organizer and
first president of the AFL. To honor him, the AFL
selected the “hand-in-hand” logo of a New York
Jewish Benevolent society as their official seal in
1881.
Hand in hand Logo from
“hello landsman!” archival exhibit.
YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, NY

1912 AFL Union Label Bulletin
(from AFL Cornerstone papers/GMMA)
The symbols the unions selected to
represent themselves fell into four
general categories:
•18 unions incorporated the AFL
“hand in hand” logo.
•Tools/craftsmanship
•Iconography (mythological, patriotic)
•Simple text/stamp
photo © 2009 Bill Burke/Page One
Labels were brightly colored so they
could be easily seen on products. The
AFL label is at the bottom center (light
blue).

AFL logo for the 8 Hour campaign
Logo - (GMMA), 1888 (?) & button from collection of Labor
Archive and Research Center, SFSU.
Labor Day Parade with San Francisco Label Section, SF Labor Council ,
Waiters Union #30 and Waitresses Union # 48 Carrying AFL 8 Hour
Banner, 1925 (photograph). Photo collection, LARC.

AFL “patriotic” logo,
(GMMA), after 1903 (?).
Here we see the globe,
handshake and patriotic icons,
but also a Phrygian cap
(labeled “liberty”), laurel leaves
(victory?) and the Roman fasces
(which often signifies “the state”
or law and order), a combination
of symbols I find particularly
intriguing. Taking all these
symbols into account, it seems
that the message relayed by this
graphic is that of proud Americans
valiantly carrying on a revolution,
but in an orderly manner within
the law. Perhaps a response to
Anarchists, Haymarket.

Before the Merger and After: a
Bold and more modern statement.
AFL-CIO Union Label, 1956
Result of merger between the
AFL 1939 Union Label Directory AFL and the CIO (ULSTD 1956
(SFSU LARC) poster, LARC.)

John (“Jack”) Miller Baer (1886-1970)
•Trained as a civil engineer
•US Representative, South Dakota, 1918-1921
•Political Cartoonist for several labor magazines.
•Caricatured US presidents McKinley to Johnson
•Publicity Director, AFL ULTD, 1935 - 1970

Two of Baer’s most famous cartoons. We Demand a New Deal, 1931
and The Appropriation Pie, (1918 – 1920).

Baer redesigned the AFL logo in such a way that it could be used as a
template for the universal format (the designer of the post-merger
emblem is unknown, although it does resemble Baer’s style). He also
devised ways that the seals of AFL departments and individual
unions to could fit into the universal label scheme.
Letterhead fragment with note from Jack Baer’s papers at the GMMA, undated.

Attempt at Universal Union Labels, AFL -CIO ULTD Labeletter in 1977.
Jack Baer probably would have been happy to see this finally happen, but
few unions adopted the format, and the attempt was ultimately
unsuccessful.

A Sign of Diversity? AFL-CIO logo, 1982.
(Central Labor Council for Alameda County papers, LARC)

Robert Rauschenberg
Commemorative Artwork
(AFL-CIO Centennial), 1981.
Notice the central hand-in-hand
emblem and the reproductions
of the affiliated union’s labels
along the bottom.
Color offset on foam core,
36” x 24”
Donated by AFL-CIO to
Smithsonian American Art
Museum.