August 10 - Safety in the Air

Labor History in 2:00 · Aug 10, 2026 · 1m

On this day in Labor History the year was 1931.

That was the day that Air Line Pilots Association affiliated with the American Federation of Labor.

The need for pilots to organize became apparent as early as the mid-1920s.

The airline industry was new, and pilots often faced dangerous conditions.

They were often put under pressure to fly under adverse conditions, especially if they were tasked with delivering the mail.

As the Great Depression swept the country, pilots were asked to fly more and more hours for less money.

They organization of pilots started off small and in secret.

But soon it…