Industrial Age Labor Unions Emerge

Hazards to Workers Industry grows; number of workers grows too Employment in factories and sweatshops Injuries are common Pay is low (avg male made $498 annually in 1899, Carnegie made $23 million that year – tax free!) Hours are long No unemployment or workers compensation Laborers mostly unskilled; easily replaced Children as young as 5 work

Workers Organize Knights of Labor – Early Union that allowed any type of labor. Eventually fails as unskilled workers can be easily replaced American Federation of Labor (AFL) – Formed by Samuel Gompers. Accepts only skilled workers Industrial Unions – Eugene Debs and American Railway Union as an example. All workers from one industry join together. Debs later jailed for role in Pullman Coach Strike – comes out a socialist

Workers Organize / Tools of Unions Industrial Workers of the World – Socialist / radical union – nicknamed “Wobblies” formed in 1905. Tactics Used by Unions – Strikes, collective bargaining, arbitration Tactics used by owners – Blacklists, lockouts, scabs, injunctions

Government Sides with Business Early on, the Federal Government supported business in labor disputes: 1877 Railroad Strike – Federal Troops break up strike – interstate commerce 1886 Haymarket Square Riot- Chicago, bomb thrown at police after brutality; union blamed for violence, loses some support of public union leaders convicted – leads to decrease in union activities

Women and Children Workers Often suffered most Women made only ~1/2 what men made Many children were crippled for life Mary Harris “Mother Jones” begins crusade to stop child labor Uses injured children as visual aid in strike 1

Public Support is Mixed Public sympathizes with workers, but also likes cheap goods. Triangle Fire in New York 140 women killed Owners had locked doors to stop theft Ladders could not reach top floor Massive outpouring of grief and anger by public

From http://www.womanoperator.org