Labor and Unionism

the great strikes: there were _______________ strikes in ____ 20 years, the time period was

24,000, 20, 1881-1900

Haymarket Riot was the national strike for the

8 hour day

which union was "bread and butter union"

AFL

organized 1866 by Samuel Gompers an exclusive union for skilled white male workers Gompers believed working women drove wages down major goals: higher wages, shorter hours, better working conditions, closed shop (had to join union to be employed), known as "bread and butter unionism" because it emphasized basics boycotts, strikes, collective bargaining

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

national strike for the 8-hour day, anarchists involved in a fight between strikers and scabs in Chicago a bomb is thrown and kills a police man a riot follows marked by gunfire between the police, strikers, and protestors; dozens are killed 8 anarchists are tried for murder, 4 are hung, 1 commits suicide, 3 are pardoned were the anarchists scapegoats? thereafter, general public and employers associate unions with radicalism and violence

Haymarket Riot, May 1 1886

workers: industrialization should not be done at expense of workers, the union was the only voice they had, endured periods of economic instability, often lead to violence, most Homestead skilled workers came from Scotland, Ireland, Whales, England, typically most unions were organized by industry but divided by skill and race/ethnicity at Homestead, the solidarity among workers ran deep, forced alliances between the skilled and the unskilled wasn't just middle where workers had power, extended to local government, on June 30 union contract officially expired, strike was on early July, 1892 in Homestead PA 3800 steele workers are locked out of Carnegie's factory 3 divisions of men control town looking for sings of trouble (workers would very gently very firmly push scabs away from here) Frick wanted protection for nonunion workers brought in, hired 300 pinker tons I've negotiated with jon pinkerton, briging in by boat so workers wont see hope for no violence but we're prepared for long strike of 300 men on board only 40 were regular employees of agency workers suffered most losses in exchanges of fight strikers were invited back only if they returned nonunion and could probe they had not attacked, but none returned, three other strikes broke out at other Carengie steel factories anarchist movement: violence is necessary to bring about change in society INDItements for murder, treason etc went down to workers, none convicted, but power of organization was eroding 1500 nonunion workers made steele at homestead, a month later it was 2700 non union men winter approaching, strike decimated, money gone, plight of children that made strikers return to work, but for most it was already to late union out of way, management makes all decision, increase productivity and profits

Homestead 1862

made luxury railroad cars known as "pullmans" Pullman built a workers' town on South Side of Chicago; avery controlled model community (ex. banned alcohol) lay offs and wage cuts during panic of 1893 strike began when 3 union negotiators were fired Pullman shut down the plant and refused to negotiate with strikers workers turned to the American Railway Union, led by Eugene Debs, a socialist who believed in nonviolence, for support 260,000 railroad workers strike in support of Pullman workers ; completly disrupts the western transcontinental railroad unions charged by federal government with violating sherman anti-trust act of 1890 by not allowing mail to go through 2500 troops sent in, strike over within a week a pattern was set: employers appeal to the federal or state government, which backs them up with federal troops or state militia unionism is set back 30 years

Pullman Strike 1894

RR workers were loosely organized in brotherhoods cause of strike: wage cuts, lay-offs, safety concerns began in West Virginia and spread throughout the midwest to Pittsburg, Chicago and St. Louis marked by clashes between militia and strikers: riots federal troops sent in my president soldiers fire on and kill rioting strikers and their supporters in Pittsburg, in retaliation to this crowds set fires causing 5 million dollars in damage began new era of violence in labor relations, use of private security companies by employers (ex: Pinkertons) to spy on workers and suppress strikes beginning of use of federal troops to suppress strikes

Railroad Strike of 1877

who started AFL and when

Samuel Gompers, 1886

outlawed any combination of companies that restrained interstate trade and commerce

Sherman Anti-trust act

who started knights of labor, when and where

Terence Powderly, Philadelphia 1869

the Railroad strike of 1877 was marked by

clashes between militia and strikers

believed employers best qualified to care for their workers, a paternalistic attitude refused to recognize the existence of unions tried to prevent union organization; fired union leaders, did not allow meetings, yellow dog contracts, refused collective bargaining

employer reaction to unions

organized by Terence Powderly in Philadelphia 1869 included all workers (farmers, shopkeepers, office workers) included all women and African Americans major goals: equal pay for equal work, the 8-hour day, end child labor used political activity and education, believed in strikes only as a last resort organized the successful strike against Jay Gould's railroad in 1882 began to decline after they were blamed for the Haymarket Riot, not effective after 1890s

knights of labor

cause of Railroad strike

lay-offs, safety concerns, lowered wages

the Wobblies were organized in 1905 in Chicago by 43 groups of workers who were unhappy with the exclusive methods of the AFL accepted members who were unskilled workers, women, African-Americans were considered to be radical socialists, especially in leadership were involved in violent strikes

the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

anarchists

those who believed all government should be destroyed before a utopian society can be formed

an organization that represents workers; negotiates with employers for contracts, including wages, working conditions, and benefits; organize strikes

union

the railroad strike began a new era of

violence in labor unions, use private security companies by employers to spy on workers and suppress strikes, use of federal troops to suppress strikes

scabs

workers hired by employers to replace those on strike

collective bargaining

workers negotiate with employer as a group represented by their union

made new employees promise not to join a union or to strike, part of employers reaction to unions

yellow dog contracts