challenge to FOTLU's international unions. The action of the Knights spurred the craft unions into action. McGuire, Strasser, Dyer, Fitzpatrick and Foster issued a national to all craft trade unions to hold a national conference in Columbus, Ohio on December 8, 1886. Forty-two delegates from 25 labor organizations, 13 national unions and 12 local unions and city labor councils assembled in Columbus. Gompers and the FOTLU executive board held their convention at the same time. Gompers and the executive committee congratulated the 20 FOTLU delegates on the organization's success in advocating for an eight-hour day. Then the organization dissolved itself. It turned over its treasury of $248.97 and all its property to the other delegates. The other delegates then declared themselves to be the American Federation of Labor. Although many at the time argued that FOTLU merged with the AFL, the AFL was in fact a continuation of the FOTLU. Leadership Secretaries 1881: William H. Foster 1883: Frank Keyes Foster 1884: Gabriel Edmonston 1885: William H. Foster 1886: John S. Kirchner Presidents 1881: Richard Powers 1882: Samuel Gompers 1883: Patrick H. McLogan 1884: William McClelland 1885: Samuel Gompers Treasurers 1881: Alexander C. Rankin 1882: Robert Howard 1885: Gabriel Edmonston Notes References Commons, John R., et al. History of Labour in the United States. Vol. 2. New York: Macmillan Co., 1918. Dubofsky, Melvyn and Dulles, Foster Rhea. Labor in America: A History. 6th ed. Wheeling, IL: Harlan Davidson, Inc., 1999. Foner, Philip. History of the Labor Movement in the United States. Vol. 1: From Colonial Times to the Founding of the American Federation of Labor. New York: International Publishers, 1947. Foner, Philip. History of the Labor Movement in the United States. Vol. 2: From the Founding of the A.F. of L. to the Emergence of American Imperialism. New York: International Publishers, 1955. Green, James. Death in the Haymarket. New York: Pantheon Books, 2006. Mandel, Bernard. Samuel Gompers: A Biography. Yellow Springs, OH: Antioch Press, 1963. Rayback, Joseph G. A History of American Labor. Rev. and exp. ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Oc., Inc., 1966. See also Labor federation competition in the U.S. Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions (FOTLU) of the United States and Canada, and American Federation of Labor (AFL), Early Federation records at the University of Maryland Libraries External links Report of the Annual Sessions of the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions of the United States