Read the passage and answer the following question.
Founded at the dawn of the modern industrial era, the nearly forgotten Women’s Trade Union League (WTUL) played an instrumental line role in advancing the cause of working women through the early part of the twentieth century. In the face of considerable adversity, the WTUL made a contribution far greater than did most historical footnotes.
The organization’s successes did not come easily; conflict beset the WTUL in many forms. During those early days of American unions, organized labour was aggressively opposed by both industry and government. The WTUL, which represented a largely unskilled labour force, had little leverage against these powerful opponents. Also, because of the skill level of its workers as well as inherent societal gender bias, the WTUL had great difficulty find- ing allies among other unions. Even the large and powerful American Federation of Labour (AFL), which nominally took the WTUL under its wing, kept it at a distance. Because the AFL’s power stemmed from its highly skilled labour force, the organization saw little eco- nomic benefit in working with the WTUL. The affiliation provided the AFL with political cover, allowing it to claim support for women workers; in return, the WTUL gained a potent but largely absent ally.
The WTUL also had to overcome internal discord. While the majority of the group’s members were working women, a sizeable and powerful minority consisted of middle- and upper-class social reformers whose goals extended beyond labour reform. While workers ar- gued that the WTUL should focus its efforts on collective bargaining and working conditions, the reformers looked beyond the workplace, seeking state and national legislation aimed at education reform and urban poverty relief as well as workplace issues.
Despite these obstacles, the WTUL accomplished a great deal. The organization was in- strumental in the passage of state laws mandating an eight-hour workday, a minimum wage for women, and a ban on child labour. It provided seed money to women who organized workers in specific plants and industries, and also established strike funds and soup kitchens to support striking unionists. After the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire of 1911, the WTUL launched a four-year investigation whose conclusions formed the basis of much sub- sequent workplace safety legislation. The organization also offered a political base for all reform-minded women, and thus helped develop the next generation of American leaders. Eleanor Roosevelt was one of many prominent figures to emerge from the WTUL.
The organization began a slow death in the late 1920s, when the Great Depression choked off its funding. The organization limped through the 1940s; the death knell eventually rang in 1950, at the onset of the McCarthy era. A turn-of-the-century labour organization dedicated to social reform, one that during its heyday was regarded by many as “radical,” stood little chance of weathering that storm. This humble ending, however, does nothing to diminish the accomplishments of an organization that is yet to receive its historical due.

Question

cdquestions Admin · Accepted Answer

""

The primary purpose of this passage is to:

Show Hint

The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Which of the following best characterizes the American Federation of Labour’s view of the Women’s Trade Union League, as it is presented in the passage?

Show Hint

The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Each of the following is cited in the passage as an accomplishment of the Women’s Trade Union League EXCEPT:

Show Hint

The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Top Questions on Reading Comprehension

Questions Asked in CAT exam