1. Labor Unions

6. Purpose of a Union Protect Rights of Workers!!!
1900 – average worker worked 60 hours/week
Earning 22 cents an hour

7. Why were unions created?

8. Why were they created? To protect against: Long Hours Low Pay
Unsafe working conditions
Child Labor
Unsanitary work conditions

9. Why were they created? To gain and advocate for: Equal pay Healthcare
Benefits

10. Types of Workers Craft worker -
Special skills and training
Ex: machinists, glass blowers
Common Laborer – few skills thus lower wages
1st to form unions called trade unions (shared same ‘trade’ or skill

11. How Industry Can Oppose Unions?

12. Industry Opposition
How they opposed
Contracts
Blacklist
Lockout
Scabs

13. Why were some Americans suspicious of unions?

14. Many associated unions with radical ideas like communism
Feared Marxist idea of workers revolt to create a socialist society

15. Knights of Labor 1st Nationwide industrial union Goals: 8 hour workday
End child labor
Equal pay for women
Gov’t owned railroad
Terminate contract system
Worker owned factories

16. Knights of Labor continued
Leadership
Approach to Labor Issues
Terrence Powderly
Arbitration – process in which 3rd party helps workers and employers reach an agreement
Boycott
Opposed Strikes
Who they represent?
Unskilled workers
Open to African Americans and women

17. American Federation of Labor
Goals
Higher wages
Better working conditions
8 hour work day
Convince companies to recognize unions and allow to collectively bargain
Closed shops – only hire union members

18. AFL Continued Leadership Approach to Labor Issues
Led by Samuel Gompers
Who they represent?
Trade Union
Skilled workers
White males
Preferred negotiation over strike

19. Industrial Workers of the World
Goals:
Workers organize as a class
Promote worker solidarity
Overthrow employing class

20. IWW continued Leadership: Who they represent?
Eugene Debs
Who they represent?
Skilled and unskilled workers
All workers (all races and genders)
Approach to Labor Issues:
Strikes to overthrow wage system

21. Cons
Pros

22. Pros Protects workers Safer working conditions Fair Pay / Higher wages
Benefits ie: Healthcare, maternity leave
Protects against unjustified firing
Fewer monopolies and trusts
Improves communication b/w workers and owners

23. Cons
Union demands like higher wages may have a negative effect on the economy
More difficult to fire ill-equipped workers
Strikes could get violent

24. Great Railroad Strike
Who? Railroad workers from the Baltimore and Ohio Railway
Where? Railways in St. Louis, Pittsburg, New York, Chicago, Baltimore
Why? B & O announced it was cutting wages for the 3rd time

25. Great Railroad Strike Railway workers in West Virginia blocked tracks
Smashed tracks, blocked rail service, federal troops sent in to keep order
12 days of fighting to restore order
100 dead
$10 million rail damage
Significance: Showed Americans that their needed to be more peaceful ways to settle labor disputes

26. Haymarket Riot Who? Knights of Labor Where? Chicago Why?
Nationwide strike for 8 hour workday;
Knights of Labor led march through Chicago
Police intervened to stop fight at picket line

27. Haymarket Riot Police killed 4
Anarchists group organized meeting to protest killings
Police moved in to keep order
Bomb thrown killing officer
Workers shot back
100 killed or injured
8 people arrested and convicted of bombing
Weak evidence but 4 executed
Significance: one man arrested was a member of Knights of Labor so it hurt their reputation
People associated unions with radicals

28. Pullman Strike Who? American Railway Union Where? Pullman, IL
Leader – Eugene Debs
Where? Pullman, IL
Near Chicago
Why started? Owner George Pullman required workers to live in his town and buy goods from company store.
He laid off workers and slashed wages

29. Pullman Strike continued
Workers could not afford high prices at company stores
Workers went on strike
American Railway Union members nationwide refused to handle Pullman cars
Railway managers arranged to have mail cars attached to Pullman cars
President Cleveland sent in troops to keep mail running

30. Pullman continued
Injunction (court order) ordered to keep mail going and required workers to handle cars
Supreme Court upheld injunction
Significance: Gave business owners powerful tool to deal with labor unrest
Injunction used to stop boycott or strike

31. Homestead Strike
Who? Amalgamated association of Iron, Steel, and Tin workers union vs. Carnegie Steel works
Where? Homestead, PA
Why? Steel owners wanted to cut wages by 20% and locked employees out

32. Homestead Strike Strikers stood guard outside of plant
Frick brought in private army called Pinkertons
Gunfire erupted leaving 3 Pinkertons and 9 workers dead
Governor ordered militia in to protect plant and strikebreakers
Significance? Strike leaders charged with murder – not convicted
All strike leaders blacklisted
Unions swept out of most steel mills in Pittsburg