What is National War Labor Board?
The '''National War Labor Board''' ('''NWLB''') was an [[agency]] of the [[United States government]] created in early 1918 by [[President]] [[Woodrow Wilson]] which was made up of twelve [[:wikt:member|members]] from [[business]] and [[Trade union|labor]]. The [[:en:wikt:co-chair|co-chairmen]] were former President [[William Howard Taft]] and [[attorney]] Frank Walsh. Its purpose was to make sure [[Strike action|labor strikes]] did not hurt the [[war]] effort. The board ended after the war in May 1919. The National War Labor Board was reestablished on January 12, 1942 by [[President of the United States|President]] [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]. The chairman was [[William Hammatt Davis]]. This board ended its duties. == National War Labor Board WW I == The [[United States]] entered [[World War I]] in April 1917. Soon the [[government]] became concerned that labor strikes might stop the production of [[Military logistics|military equipment and supplies]]. In response President Woodrow Wilson created the National War Labor Board.<ref name=Northrup315>''The American Economy: A Historical Encyclopedia'', Volume 1, ed. Cynthia Clark Northrup (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2011), p. 315</ref> The board recognized the worker's right to [[organize]] [[Trade union|unions]] and [[Collective bargaining|bargain collectively]]. Former President Taft and labor attorney Frank Walsh were the co-chairmen. The board had little real power but depended on their ability to [[Negotiation|negotiate]] [[compromise]]s between the two sides. They succeeded in preventing a number of strikes.<ref name=Northrup315/> After [[Germany]] was defeated the board was disbanded. In 1919 several strikes broke out in the [[Coal mining|coal]] and [[Steel mill|steel]] [[industries]].<ref name=Northrup315/> The board supported an [[eight-hour day]] for workers and equal pay for equal work regardless of sex.<ref>''Report of the Secretary of the National War Labor Board to the Secretary of Labor'' (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office ,1920), pp. 69, 7