The Organized Labor Movement

The Hardships

• People worked for low wages
• Immigrants made up large percentage of work force
• generally would take any job

Sweatshops

• workers, mainly women
• worked long hours at machines mass producing items
• clocked work and break hours
• Were dangerous places
• accidents were common
• faulty equipment and lack of training
• could do this - more people than jobs

Children in the Workplace

• both mom and dad had to work
• By the end of 1800s 1 in 5 between the ages of 10-16 worked instead of attending school.
• their health and growth were stunted
• 1890's social workers lobbied to remove children from working in the factories
• Eventually child labor would stop

Company Towns

• May workers (liked miners) were forced to live in isolated communities near their workplace.
• company towns: housing owned by companies and rented out to employees
• Employer controlled the "company store" where workers were forced to buy goods.
• workers charged goods at high interest
• arrested if they quit their job before their debt was paid

Labor Union

• Employees resented low pay and poor working conditions
• Began to organize
• Employers saw this as a violation of property rights
• or running their company as they see fit.

Collective Bargaining

• negotiating as a group to the employer
• For higher wages or better working conditions
• Related to a strike

Strike

• Workers refused to work until demands were met.

National Trade Union

Socialism

• movement in the 1830s
• First spread in europe
• society and not just individuals should control the nation's wealth

Karl Marx

• German philosoher
• wrote the "Communist Manifesto"
• Denounced capitalism
• claimed most workers would revolt and overthrow
• Most Americans rejected these ideas
• The wealthy really opposed socialism

Knights of Labor

• 1869 union founded by Uriah Stephens
• included all workers skilled and unskilled
• included women and African americans

Terrence v. Powderly

• Leader of the knights 1879
• used collective bargaining
• wanted profit sharing for workers
• 1890's after failed strikes the Knights of labor disappeared

Samuel Gompers

• Founded by Samuel Gompers poor jewish immigrant
• Worked his way up as a cigarmaker
• Helped found the AFL

Americal Federation of Labor

• 100 unions of skilled workers
• devoted to specific crafts
• high dues
• focused on wages, working conditions, and hours.
• Pressed places to hire union only
• Called "Bread and Butter" union
• Didn't include women
• Found ways to exclude African Americans

Labor unions lead protests

Railroad Strike

• 1877 frist major strike
• striking workers caused massive property destruction in several cities
• strikebreakers-AKA "Scabs" temporary workers hired to perform work of strikers
• Federal troops were called

haymarket Riot

• Chicago Haymarket square protest
• may 4th, 1877
• Dozens were killed
• Headed by the knights of labor
• made people suspicious of unions

HOmestead Strike

• steelworkers clash with Pinkerton guards (private police force)
• Brought in by Carnegie's partner Frick.
• pinkertons killed several
• resulted in a two week stand off
• public opinion was turning against the union.
• the workers called the strike off.

Untitled Slide

Pullman

• George PUllman
• produced luxury train cars
• Laid off many workers
• cut wages by 25%
• refused to negotiate

Eugene V Debs

• founded the American Railway union (ARU)
• Ordered nationwide strike against pullman
• called "Pullman Strike"
• President Cleveland called in troops citing the Sherman Antitrust Act
• Said workers were interfering with free trade
• Debs would be arrested for interrupting state commerce

Impact of Labor Unions

• Employers cited the Sherman anti-trust act to stop unions
• collective bargaining, strikes, and legislations became the norm for industry
• Debs would become a socialist
• Debs organized the American socialist party
• founded the Industrial workers of the world (IWW)
• IWW led many violent strikes.