The Congress of Industrial organizations was an organization created in order to help influence change in the American Federation of Labor. The Congress of Industrial organizations was made up of several smaller groups, and advocated for changes regarding larger production industries, and the way they were organized. The American Federation of Labor rejected all of the demands that were requested by the CIO.

Initially, of the many congresses and unions that were around during the time of the AFL, the congress of industrial organizations was one that took on proactive and interactive roles within the various strikes and campaigns that were going on regarding industrial issues; for instance, during a larger strike at General Motors, the congress of industrial organizations worked to help alleviate tensions and settle the dispute between the employees and the company. This was one of the the initial triumphs that the congress of industrial organizations had in the 1900s.

However, of the different congresses, the congress of industrial organizations was frowned-upon by the American Federation of Labor; the AFL thought of the CIO as an enemy, and used stratagems in order to keep the CIO in check.

While the Congress of industrial organizations was recruiting new members and making new unions, the AFL was adding significantly more members to their cause; however, this would all change in the 1950s. This was because the founders of the CIO and the AFL had started talking about a merger of the two organizations; at this point any differences that there were between the congresses had began to fade away; it felt as if that was the natural progression; the successors of these two organizations to on the merger endeavor which was completed in 1955.