He formed the Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Laborers' Union in 1889, which had support from skilled workers.
[citation needed] Although the new unions sponsored many large strikes in their early years, most, in fact, favored conciliation and accommodation.
Similarly, although new union leaders espoused socialism, it was often of a moderate kind.
The decline in union membership ended, but the net effect is still subject to debate within the movement.
[5] Unions such as the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in North America and the Public Services Association (PSA) in New Zealand have combined innovative organizing and partnership combinations with notable success, leading to large and sustained membership gains (about 50% in each case) and increased influence and activism at workplace level.