In 1916, when the President established the National Council of Defense, he appointed Samuel Gompers one of the seven members composing the Advisory Commission in charge of all policies dealing with labor and chairman of a committee on labor of his own appointment.  Among the first acts of the Council of Defense was an emphatic declaration for the preservation of the standards of legal protection of labor against the ill-advised efforts for their suspension during War-time.  The Federation was given representation on the Emergency Construction Board, the Fuel Administration Board, on the Woman’s Board, on the Food Administration Board, and finally on the War Industries Board.  The last named board was during the war the recognized arbiter of the country’s industries, all labor matters being handled by its labor representative.  The Department of Labor, which in the War emergency could rightly be considered the Federation’s arm in the Administration, was placed in supreme charge of general labor administration.  Also, in connection with the administration of the military conscription law, organized labor was given representation on each District Exemption Board.  But perhaps the strongest expression of the official recognition of the labor movement was offered by President Wilson when he took time from the pressing business in Washington to journey to Buffalo in November 1917, to deliver an address before the convention of the American Federation of Labor.

In addition to representation on boards and commissions dealing with general policies, the government entered with the Federation into a number of agreements relative to the conditions of direct and indirect employment by the government.  In each agreement the prevalent trade union standards were fully accepted and provision was made for a three-cornered board of adjustment to consist of a representative of the particular government department, the public and labor.  Such agreements were concluded by the War and Navy departments and by the United States Emergency Fleet Corporation.  The Shipping Board sponsored a similar agreement between the shipping companies and the seafaring unions; and the War Department between the leather goods manufacturers and leather workers’ union.  When the government took over the railways on January 1, 1918, it created three boards of adjustment on the identical principle of a full recognition of labor organizations.  The spirit with which the government faced the labor problem was shown also in connection with the enforcement of the eight-hour law.  The law of 1912 provided for an eight-hour day on contract government work but allowed exceptions in emergencies.  In 1917 Congress gave the President the right to waive the application of the law, but provided that in such event compensation be computed on a “basic” eight-hour day.  The War and Navy departments enforced these provisions not only to the letter but generally gave to them a most liberal interpretation.