Labor Unions in the United States Bell Ringer: Name 6 factors that play a role in employees joining the work force.

What is a labor union? A labor union is an organization of workers that negotiates with employers for better wages.

Developing Unions? Shifting in power changed the relationship between employees and employers. Owners grew rich, while workers remained poor, causing conflict.

History of Unions Mid and Late 1800 ’ s owners had almost complete control over both pay scales and workday length. In 1860: the Average factory worker worked 60 hours a week at $0.10/hour. Families could not make ends meet, so they sent children to work. By 1890: 20% of children ages worked.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory In 1911, more than 140 women died in a fire while working at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory. Women and children were locked into the factory, emergency exits were sub par, and fire escapes melted during use. Was a wake up call to the world.

Upton Sinclair In his novel, The Jungle, Sinclair documents the conditions of a Chicago meat packing plant. Described the eating away of hands by acid, infection, TB, and grinding of limbs with meat. The world was horrified by the struggles of Jurgis and his family.

The Jungle Excerpt "There would be meat that had tumbled out on the floor, in the dirt and sawdust, where the workers had trapped and spit uncounted billions of consumption [tuberculosis] germs. There would be meat stored in great piles in rooms; … and thousands of rats would race about on it …. A man could run his hand over these piles of meat and sweep off handfuls of dried dung of rats. These rats were nuisances, and the packers would put poisoned bread out for them; they would die, and then rats, bread, and meat would go into the hoppers together …. There were things that went into the sausage in comparison with which a poisoned rat was a tidbit."

In pairs … Write in your notes (each of you needs a copy) the definitions of the following … Formation of the Knights of Labor Formation of the American Federation of Labor – Open Shops – Closed Shops Congress of Industrial Organization