Organized Labor Movement Chapter 4 Section 3

Organized Labor Movement With the American economy growing it relied heavily on workers. Struggles between business owners and workers arose because of low pay and unsafe conditions. Finding ways to ease the tension were needed to keep the economy thriving.

Workers Endure Hardships Long hours, dirty workshops, and sweatshops

Workers Endure Hardships Women and children were put to work

Workers Endure Hardships Some workers were made to live in company towns Made it hard for workers to make money because of cost of living

Labor Unions Form Consumer goods prices were low, but workers still could not afford them Protests began, using collective bargaining

Labor Union Forms The idea of socialism became popular Public, not private should own nations wealth

Knights of Labor Founded by Uriah Smith Stephens By 1885, 700,000 members

American Federation of Labor Founded by Samuel Gompers

Strikes Rock the Nation May 4, 1886 Haymarket Square Riot Protest over an 8 hour work day Violent riot, changed the views of unions

Haymarket Riot

Haymarket Riot Policeman Mathias J. Degan

Strikes Rock the Nation Homestead Strike, Summer of 1892 Economic depression led to cuts in steelworkers’ wages Fought between Carnegie Steel Company and Association of Iron and Steel Workers

Strikes Rock the Nation Pullman Strikes Upset over wage cuts without an decrease in the cost of living in company towns Halted railroad traffic and mail delivery Nearly 300,000 rail workers walked off their jobs