Question: who was an important figure in developing the strength of labor unions in the united states
Answer: Samuel Gompers

title: Labor unions in the United States
text: Labor emerged as a major force in the late 1880s, but it collapsed because of poor organization, lack of effective leadership, disagreement over goals, and strong opposition from employers and government forces. The American Federation of Labor, founded in 1886 and led by Samuel Gompers until his death in 1924, proved much more durable. It arose as a loose coalition of various local unions. It helped coordinate and support strikes and eventually became a major player in national politics, usually on the side of the Democrats. American labor unions benefited greatly from the New Deal policies of Franklin Delano Roosevelt