Abstract
The industrial relations characterize the employee-employers relation in a company. In the United States, the term "industrial relation" really appeared with the creation of the Commission on Industrial relations in 1912 after two leaders of the Structural Ironworkers Union killed twenty persons in the dynamite bombing of the L.A Times in 1910. Nevertheless, the issue of industrial relations in the US has always been part of the story of the country, with the consequences it has on the welfare of workers as well as employers that is to say on the whole nation. The United States have experienced one of the bloodiest employment relations, with a strong tradition of violent labour movements and harsh repression until the mid 1950, but then succeeded in changing the pattern of industrial relations to turn to more dialogue and cooperation.
From confrontation...
1 The origins of the employer-employee conflicts (1770-1800)
At the time of the 1776 revolution, most American workers were self-employed: they were farmers, artisan or labourers. The tiny part which worked for a boss did so as were immigrants who wanted to learn a trade or just raise money for a time. Nevertheless, in 1776 was organized the first strike against a boss America ever recorded, with the walk of the journeyman tailors in New York city who complained about reduction pays. They had no funds but set up their own cooperative the "house of call". The same year was published the Tomas Paine's pamphlet "common sense" which aimed at uniting the working force to struggle for equity. Workers, who felt dominated by the local landed and merchant-capitalist in an elitist society, started fighting to better their working conditions.
