In 1935, UMWA President John L. Lewis (pictured) wanted to organize workers by industry, not just by skill, which led to a split from the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the creation of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). When West Virginia’s labor federation supported CIO unions, the AFL took away its charter. In 1937, the state joined the CIO’s new group. Later, most unions in West Virginia became part of the AFL-CIO when the two groups merged.