After the American Federation of Labor (AFL) achieved significant successes in securing higher wages and better working conditions for workers in the late 1800s, business interests often responded by backing various laws and measures aimed at limiting the power of labor unions. These efforts included the promotion of "yellow dog contracts," which were agreements that stipulated workers could not join a union as a condition of employment.
Additionally, business owners and their allies supported injunctions through the courts to curtail strikes and union activities, often labeling these actions as illegal or detrimental to commerce. Laws like the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 were sometimes used against unions, arguing that they constituted illegal combinations in restraint of trade, even though the law was originally intended to combat monopolistic practices by businesses.
Furthermore, some states passed specific anti-union legislation, or lawmakers enacted laws that made it difficult for unions to organize or conduct strikes. This backlash against unionization reflected the broader tension between labor and management during a period when the labor movement was emerging as a powerful force in American society.