1. Steel Workers in Homestead, PA
Industrialization created many millionaires
The attempt to lower production costs to maximize profits led to low pay and long hours for most workers
Steel mill workers usually worked 12 hours a day for six days a week making 16 cents an hour
12 hrs x 6 days x $0.16/hour = $11.52 a week
$11.52 a week x 52 weeks = $ a year
$600 dollars a year was the poverty line (back then)

2. Workers’ Housing in Homestead
Those who worked in factories outside of cities lived in employer-owned villages called company towns
Workers paid their rent back to their employer
Homes usually isolated from schools and shopping
Workers often paid in “scrip”
Currency that can only be used in employer owned stores

3. The Workforce
The majority of workers were white Americans that left rural areas in search of better jobs
By 1890, about 1 million women were working in factories
Women paid half as much as men
About one-third of workers were immigrants
Who often took jobs for lower pay
A very small number of factory workers were black

5. Working Conditions Most factories were badly lit and poorly ventilated
Owners refused to pay for expensive safety features
Working families often sent their children to work
By 1900, 2 million children between were working in factories

6. Textile Workers on Strike
Low wages, long hours, and dangerous working conditions led workers to band together in hopes of improving conditions
Three big worker’s organizations (unions) emerged in this time
Knights of Labor
American Federation of Labor
Industrial Workers of the World

7. Labor Unions
Groups organized to protect the rights, wages, and safety of workers
Power of the many workers against wealth of owner
Major Tactics:
Collective bargaining
Strikes
Enlisting public support (boycotts)
Political work (for getting stronger labor laws)

8. Knights of Labor
Who:
Black & white; men & women; skilled & unskilled; immigrants & “natives” (basically everyone)
Goal:
Improve wages and working conditions, get compensation for work-related injury and equal pay for men and women
Success:
700,000 members at height
But ceased to exist by 1895

9. American Federation of Labor
Who:
Organized only skilled workers with a particular skill
This meant mostly semi-educated white men
Goal:
Higher wages, better conditions
“A bigger slice of the capitalist pie”
Success:
Is still around today

10. Industrial Workers of the World
Who:
The ignored segments of the working class
Goals:
Use strikes and massive work slowdowns to take power away from the capitalists
Success:
100,000 members at its height
Still around today (but only 900 members)

11. Owner Tactics to Destroy Unions
Fire organizers
Blacklists
Bribe or buy off organizers
Violence (goons & scabs)
Government, police, courts
Often indebted to the owners
Threaten to move the factory
Especially common today

12. Reaction to Unions
Strike in Chicago by 8,000 workers turned violent killing 20 workers, 7 policemen, and 4 civilians
Strike at Carnegie steel mill killed 16 workers and 8 security guards; the National Guard was called out to restore peace
1894 strike by Pullman Railcar employees shut down rail lines across the country; US Army soldiers sent to clear the strikers