National Consumers League is an organization founded in 1899 to develop a sense of responsibility for the promotion of safety, health, and economic welfare of consumers and workers. The league worked for child labor laws, the elimination of sweatshops, the 8-hour day for women, social insurance, and national health insurance for the elderly under Social Security. The league introduced the idea of minimum wage laws in the United States. It also worked for the establishment of the Food and Drug Administration, meat inspection, and other consumer protection legislation.
Today, the National Consumers League works to promote affordable health care, awareness of hazardous chemicals used in jobs and in the community, food and drug safety, fair tax policies, child labor laws, and consumer protection. Its headquarters are in Washington, D.C.
