Unit 8- Rise of Labor Unions Review
Craft Union
Included skilled workers from one or more trades.
Pullman Strike of 1893
Panic of 1893 caused Pullman to lay off workers and cut wages by 25%, but he kept all other prices the same.
Samuel Gompers
President of the American Federation of Labor (AFL). Focused on collective bargaining or negotiation between representatives of labor and management to reach written agreements on wages, hours, and working conditions.
Haymarket Riot (1886)
Riot took place in Chicago between rioters and the police; it ended when someone threw a bomb that killed dozens; the riot was suppressed, and in addition with the damaged reputation of unions, it also killed the Knights of Labor, who were seen as anarchists
Andrew Carnegie
Steel magnate who considered himself a champion of the working man, however the Homestead Strike marred his reputation
How did the 1877 strike and Haymarket cause the public to resent the labor movement?
Strikes were turning violent and were also shutting down transportation systems.
What were the Knights of Labor tactics for getting the workers what they needed from their employer?
- Arbitration - Strikes
What were the American Federation of Labor tactics for getting the workers what they needed from their employer?
- Collective Bargaining - Strikes
Knights of Labor Goals
- Equal pay for men and women - 8 hour workday
American Federation of Labor Goals
- Higher wages - Shorter hours - Safer working conditions
American Federation of Labor (AFL)
A labor union lead by Samuel Gompers. Used strikes as a major tactic. Example of Craft Unionism.
Blacklist
A list, circulated among potential employers, of alleged "troublemakers" not to be hired
Yellow-Dog Contract
Agreements employers forced potential employees to sign in which the employees agreed not to join unions or go on strike
Henry Clay Frick
Carnegie's steel general manager
What were the two major types of unions that made great gains under forceful leaders?
Craft union and Industrial union.
How did craft unions and industrial unions differ?
Craft unions just represented skilled laborers and industrial unions represented skilled and unskilled.
What are some of the changes labor unions were able to make?
Equal pay for men and women, an eight hour workday.
George Pullman
Invented a luxury sleeping car and came up with the idea of a town for his workers
Homestead Strike (1892)
It was one of the most violent strikes in U.S. history; against the Homestead Steel Works, which was part of the Carnegie Steel Company, in Pennsylvania in retaliation against wage cuts; riot was ultimately put down by Pinkerton Police and the state militia, and the violence further damaged the image of unions
Industrial Union
Labor unions that included all laborers--skilled and unskilled--in a specific industry.
Great Railroad Strike (1877)
Large number of railroad workers went on strike because of wage cuts. After a month of strikes, President Hayes sent troops to stop the rioting. The worst railroad violence was in Pittsburgh, with over 40 people killed by militia men
What were the conditions in factories like?
Long days (12 or more per day); repetitive and dangerous work, low pay, no workers benefits, child labor was common, woman and children made less than men
How did industrialized working conditions contribute to the growth of the labor movement?
More factories resulting in more accidents on the job and longer hours to produce more goods.
Who was blamed for Haymarket Strike?
The Knights of Labor, also made them look bad because people associated them with violence
What factors limited the success of unions?
The public came to resent them. Management refused to recognize unions. Employees came to fear unions.
Pinkerton armed guards
Thugs that Frick called upon to end the Homestead Strike
Why did labor unions form?
To fight against low wages, long hours, and unsafe working conditions.
