Gilded Age: Unionization Chapter 6-4
Objective #1 Explain the effects of industrialization in the United States in the 18th century. –Changes in work and the workplace. –Immigration and child labor and their impact on the labor force.
Objective #2 Explain the effects of industrialization on work and the workplace.
Objective #3 Explain the impact of child labor and immigration on the work force in the 18th century.
Objective #4 Analyze the reasons for the rise and growth of labor organizations in the United States (Knights of Labor, American Federation of Labor, Congress of Industrial Organizations) including: –Unregulated working conditions –Laissez-faire policies toward big business –Violence toward supporters of organized labor
The Changing American Labor Force
By 1880, 5 million people worked in factories. What were the working conditions like? Unsafe: ____________ workers killed/week Low wages: –Men averaged $_____ a year (1899) –Women averaged $_____ a year (1899) Long hours: 12 hr. days/6 days per wk. Unsafe machinery ______________________________ Workers had few rights Workers were easily replaced.
Workers Protest As companies pooled their strength, workers realized they needed to as well for their voice to be heard. Hidden protests: work slow downs, sick days, disciplining the “over-achiever” Increased use of the strike in the late 19th c.
Unionization Nationally Unionization movement began again after Civil War. 1866: _____________________________ –_________________ members by early 1870s –Several labor unions combined into large national union –_____________________________ also included –Call for _________ hour day –Disagreements and Depression of 1873 killed it.
Knights of Labor Terence V. Powderly An injury to one is the concern of all!
Goals of the Knights of Labor ù _____________________ workday. ù Abolition of ___________________ labor. ù Equal pay for _____________________. ù ____________________ in the workplace. ù Prohibition of contract foreign labor. ù Open to all laborers except for the idle and corrupt
The American Federation of Labor: 1886 Samuel Gompers
How the AF of L Would Help the Workers ù Catered to the ____________________ worker. ù Mediated disputes between management and labor (___________________________________). ù Pushed for __________________________. ù Used the strike to its advantage ù Saw average workweek drop from 54 hours a week to 49 hours a week ù Saw pay increase from $17.50 a week to $24.
AFL Grows 1900: ___________________ members Rejected ________________________
The Socialists Eugene V. Debs
International Workers of the World (“Wobblies”)
“Big Bill” Haywood of the IWW Violence was justified to overthrow capitalism.
Mother Jones: “The Miner’s Angel” Mary Harris. Organizer for the United Mine Workers. One of the founding members of the I. W. W. in Led ______________ ____________ to White House in 1903
Labor Unrest:
Great Railroad Strike (1877) Nationwide railroad strike over __________________ Workers destroyed railroad property Federal troops sent in ________________ die Business leaders saw this as the beginning of a _________________
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877
Haymarket Riot (1886) McCormick Harvesting Machine Co.
Haymarket Riot (1886) Chicago police try to disperse Bomb explodes killing 7 police Eight anarchists tried and convicted (3 were executed) Businesses now try to crush unions Hurt unionization in mainstream America--linked to ________________
Haymarket Martyrs
End of Knights of Labor Haymarket fear, disagreements over membership of blacks and women, unauthorized strikes killed the Knights of Labor by 1890s
Homestead Steel Strike (1892) The Amalgamated Association of Iron & Steel Workers Homestead Steel Works
Homestead Strike (1892) Owned by ____________________ Carnegie locked out workers when they refused a wage decrease Armed guards and fences protected the building Gun battle brought in 8000 troops to crush the strike and the union
The Pullman Strike of 1894
Pullman Strike (1894) Pullman required workers live in a _____________________________. 1893: Pullman cuts wages by 1/3, laid off workers and did not cut rents and prices Demanded increased output Pullman union leader was _____________________________
Pullman (1894) Continued Major strike and sympathy strikes Pullman Co. and Railroad companies ask federal government to get court injunction to end strike _________________________ sent in troops to enforce injunction
Violence at Pullman Violence burning of cars, $340,000 in damage, death Strike collapses and several leaders were arrested Supreme Court ruled in 1895 injunctions to stop strikes were illegal
Working Class Setbacks Workers lost many battles –Owners often supported by _____________________________________ –Use of _________________________ –Unskilled workers could be replaced –Economic depressions in 1873 and 1893 But workers kept organizing –Over _____________________________ by 1914
The “Formula” unions + violence + strikes + socialists + immigrants = anarchists
Women in Workplace 5 million by 1900, 8.5 million by 1920 Ignored by most unions (________% in unions in 1920) ______________________________ founded in 1903
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Many women in NYC garment industry –16-25 yrs old, of Italian or Jewish descent –56-hr weeks –$6/week Over 600 shirtwaist factories employed 30,000 workers Conditions: overcrowding, women renting machines, paying for electricity, breaks minimized, safety shortcuts due to costs
Women strike! 1909: Women want better pay, working conditions, don’t want to pay costs Mass strike in 1909 Strikers fired, arrested, etc. ________________________t support of factories meant they did very little to improve working conditions
Typical NYC Sweatshop, 1910
Women Voting for a Strike!
Arresting the Girl Strikers for Picketing
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Asch Building, 8 th and 10 th Floors
Inside the Building After the Fire
Dead Bodies on the Sidewalk
Out of the Ashes Ô__________ membership surged. ÔNew strict ___________ were passed. ÔTougher ________________ of sweatshops. ÔGrowing momentum of support for women’s __________________.