Labor and the USA The Gilded Age

The Struggle of Organized Labor 19th century witnessed the most violent labor conflicts in US history. Some feared open class warfare between capital and labor.

The Struggle of Organized Labor Industrial warfare: Cheap and plentiful labor meant management held most of the power in struggles with organized labor. Strikers could easily be replaced by bringing in scabs – unemployed people desperate for jobs.

The Struggle of Organized Labor Employers used the following methods to defeat unions: Lockout: closing a factory to break the labor movement Blacklists: names of pro-union workers that circulated among employers Yellow-dog contracts: workers had to sign a contract that they wouldn’t join unions Private guards and state militia to put down strikes Court injunctions against strikes

The Struggle of Organized Labor The Public had a great impact on strikes – many Americans feared unions because of newspaper accounts that said that strikers were anarchists and un-American. Labor was also divided: some thought political action was the best method, others favored strikes, picketing, boycotts and slowdowns.

The Struggle of Organized Labor Great Railroad Strike of 1877: Some of the worst violence, economic depression caused railroad to cut wages to reduce costs. The strike spread across 11 states and shut down 2/3rds of the country’s railroad track. Workers were joined by nearly 500,000 workers from other industries that became a national strike. Federal troops had to be sent in to quell the violence. More than 100 people were killed.

The Struggle of Organized Labor Attempts to Organize National Labor: National Labor Union: all workers, skilled and unskilled. Higher wages, eight hour day, equal rights for women and blacks, monetary reform, worker cooperatives and promoted. Knights of Labor: membership open to all, wanted worker cooperatives, abolition of child labor, abolition of trusts and monopolies. Loosely organized.

The Struggle of Organized Labor Attempts to Organize National Unions American Federation of labor: open to skilled workers, went after higher wages and improved working conditions. Did not have a social agenda, didn’t promote equality. Negotiated contracts through collective bargaining.

The Struggle of Organized Labor Haymarket Bombing: Chicago, 1886, May day labor movement calls for a general strike. Violence breaks out at the McCormick Harvester plant. Public meeting held 3 days later in Haymarket Square to address problems. Anarchists in the city showed up at the meeting, also. Somebody threw a bomb, anarchists are arrested and hanged. Unions get the reputation for being radical and violent. Knights of Labor lose membership and popularity.

The Struggle of Organized Labor Two massive strikes demonstrate the growing discontent of labor and the continued power of management in industrial disputes. Homestead Strike 1892 Pullman Strike 1894

The Struggle of Organized Labor Pullman Strike: Leader, Eugene V. Debs, becomes a prominent leader for labor. Becomes a socialist and founds the Socialist party. Later has a somewhat successful run for President.