Industrial Workers

The New Workplace “In some of these camps the miners are forced to pay as much as $9 a barrel for flour, … 18 cents a pound for fat pork, and $8 to $10 a month rent for a company shack, the roof of which is so poor that when it rains the bed is moved from place to place in the attempt to find a dry spot. Many a miner works his whole life and never handles a cent of money.”

Union Vocabulary Union = a group of workers who join together to improve their situation at work and their lifestyle Negotiations = discussions between union leaders and ownership/management Strike = a stoppage of work when negotiations break down Scabs = nickname given to strikebreakers Goons = nickname given to those who protect strikebreakers

Labor Unions Collective bargaining – negotiating as a group Where do we hear a lot of collective bargaining talk today?

In small groups… Read pages 199-201 on the following three strikes and fill in the corresponding block in your notes: Haymarket Riot (199) Pullman Strike (201) Homestead Strike (200)

Ind. Revolution Violence & Strikes Haymarket Riot of 1886 (violence in Chicago outside the McCormick Reaper plant; anarchists threw bombs) (Knights of Labor image is tarnished) Homestead Strike of 1892 (strikebreakers, a/k/a scabs, were hired, as were guards, or goons, to protect the scabs) - Against Carnegies Steel plant when they tried to bring in new machinery (why did this upset the workers? Pullman Strike of 1894 (railroad workers strike; the federal government crushed the strike, using the army / courts (Sherman Anti-trust Act)

Early Labor Unions Knights of Labor- Terrence Powderly Cooperative labor where workers would own the factories as shareholders. Fought for the 8-hour work day The union was open to all producers- regardless of gender, color, or skill level. READ pages 197-201 in your texts prior to the exam!

Early Labor Unions American Federation of Labor- Samuel Gompers Skilled laborers only (craft unions) Interested in “bread and butter” issues like shorter hours, better pay. Women were excluded. The first big union victory: the 8-hour day Eventually, unions won sick pay, overtime pay, and better ventilation.

Why Labor Unions Failed LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES!!! Management desire to kill unions. Violence against union membership. Use of strike-breakers (scabs). Blacklisting Military and Police action against unions.

Good Unions Were committed to not getting violent Didn’t immediately threaten to strike Helped each other out when they were fired, injured, or blacklisted Offered counter-proposals when wage cuts were threatened Remained loyal to each other and to the company Included skilled workers, who are harder to replace.

Raudmeister Garment Factory We make shirts, cheap as dirt; we work ‘til it hurts, and OUR BOSS IS COOL!

Raudmeister Garment Factory Machine repairmen $2.05/hour LD,C,T +2 Seamsters $1.95/hour LD,C,T +2 Fabric cutter $1.25/hour LD, T +1 Maintenance $0.75/hour LD +1 (un)

Raudmeister Garment Factory We make shirts, cheap as dirt; we work ‘til it hurts, and OUR BOSS IS COOL!

Raudmeister Garment Factory Machine repairmen $1.85/hour LD, C,T +1 Seamsters $1.75/hour LD, C, T Fabric cutter $1.15/hour LD, T Maintenance $0.70/hour LD

Raudmeister Garment Factory How did Andrew Carnegie attempt to break the unions? What strategies did unions use to attempt to negotiate? Why create unions? What strategies did management use to break unions?