APUSH Labor Union Review

Labor Union Organizations  Shoemakers in PA (1790’s)  Mechanics Union (1820’s)  Molly Maguire's in PA (1860’s)  Freemasons (1700’s)

Knights of Labor (1869) –Org. 9 tailors in PA –Secret society –Uriah S. Stephens –Gained influence during Great RR Strike 1877 –1880’s dropped secrecy & became public –Terrence Powderly—new leader of KOL –Included everyone w/ a job—except bankers, lawyers, gamblers & liquor producers

Aims of the KOL  An eight-hour work day  Termination of child labor  Termination of the convict contract labor system (the concern was not for the prisoners; the Knights opposed competition from this cheap source of labor)  Establishment of cooperatives to replace the traditional wage system and help tame capitalism's excesses  Equal pay for equal work  Government ownership of telegraph facilities and the railroads  A public land policy designed to aid settlers and not speculators  A graduated income tax.

Influence of KOL  Main strategy—strikes  Successful in Union Pacific strike (1884) & Wabash RR Strike (1885)  Membership rose to over 700,000 in 1880’s  Haymarket Square Riot (1886)  KOL implicated  “union” = “anarchism”  Membership declines to 100,000  Too large, too many differing ideologies (some radical)

American Federation of Labor (AFL) 1886  Rise of AFL  Led by Samuel Gompers  Rejected Radical Unionization  Promoted union for skilled laborers  Used collective bargaining & strikes as last resorts  Wanted much of the same as KOL –Focused on higher wages, better workplace environ, & shortened work week –Left out minorities and unskilled laborers

Minorities & Labor Unions  African Americans –Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters  Women –Women’s Trade Union League –International Ladies Garment Workers Union (after Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire-1911)

Success of AFL  AFL becomes the largest and most powerful union in late 1800’s early 1900’s  Combating the ideology of “union” = “anarchism”  Most strikes are unsuccessful—put down by police, state or national guard

Radical Labor Organizations  Wobblies—International Workers of the World –Big Bill Haywood  Socialists

WWI  Labor Unions benefit from WWI  Fed. Gov’t regulates unions—promise to keep union demands—pay, hours, workplace conditions, end of child labor in return for not striking  Women & AA also receive benefits  End of WWI—return to labor problems

Roaring 20’s  Labor unions are hurt due to assembly line (unskilled laborers)  Open shops—refused to give work to members of a union  “welfare capitalism”—internal workplace unions  Booming economy  “Bull” market  Rampant immigration

Great Depression & Unions  FDR favors Unions  New Deal Legislation –NIRA “blanket code”=unconstitutional—”sick chicken” –NRA—creation of National Labor Board— employers must negotiate with legitimate unions –CIO (Committee of Industrial Organization)  Makes unions industry specific  United Auto Workers  SWOC