LC ▁was ▁formed ▁a ▁week ▁later , ▁with ▁represent atives ▁from ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁craft s ▁— ▁mach in ists , ▁elect r icians , ▁car pent ers , ▁co op ers , ▁office ▁workers , ▁steam fit ters , ▁engine ers , ▁railway ▁car men , ▁and ▁fire men . ▁While ▁this ▁body ▁was ▁only ▁a ▁coal ition ▁created ▁for ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁organ izing ▁workers , ▁and ▁would ▁not ▁have ▁had ▁the ▁authority ▁to ▁b arg ain ▁for ▁them ▁as ▁a ▁single ▁group , ▁it ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁step ▁toward ▁industrial ▁union ism . ▁F oster ▁was ▁the ▁secretary ▁for ▁the ▁S LC . ▁ ▁Another ▁factor ▁pos ed ▁a ▁serious ▁obst acle ▁to ▁organ izing ▁pack ing house ▁workers : ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁un ions ▁in ▁the ▁S LC ▁ex cluded ▁African - Amer icans ▁from ▁membership , ▁either ▁over t ly ▁or ▁in ▁practice . ▁Th ous ands ▁of ▁recent ▁African - American ▁migr ants ▁from ▁the ▁South ▁had ▁gone ▁to ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁pack ing h ouses ▁and ▁many ▁looked ▁upon ▁their ▁employ ers ▁as ▁more ▁interested ▁in ▁their ▁w elf are ▁than ▁the ▁un ions ▁that ▁had ▁either ▁ex cluded ▁them ▁or ▁shown ▁no ▁interest ▁in ▁organ izing ▁them . ▁The ▁S LC , ▁for ▁its ▁part , ▁offered ▁membership ▁in ▁federal ▁un ions ▁affili ated ▁directly ▁with ▁the ▁A FL , ▁only ▁to ▁have ▁this ▁offer ▁thrown ▁back ▁at ▁it ▁as ▁" J im ▁Crow ▁union ism ". ▁The ▁same ▁pattern ▁of ▁division ▁pre va iled