In the late 1990s, Howell Harris, a professor of history at the University of Durham in England, and a leading scholar on the business, economic, labor, and technological history of the United States, began conducting research for his 2000 publication, “Bloodless Victories: The Rise and Fall of the Open Shop in the Philadelphia Metal Trades, 1890-1940.” During his research, Harris collected numerous records from employers' associations throughout the United States, information he primarily used to write his book’s afterword.

Employers' associations consist of a collective membership of businesses and organizations that aim to assist with employment and labor laws, compliance, recruitment, surveys, training, and organizational development. In conducting research for "Bloodless Victories," Harris utilized several public relations, recruitment, and general information folders and packets distributed by employers' associations, including the Manufacturers’ Association of Delaware Valley, American Society of Employers, and the MidAtlantic Employers’ Association, among others.