1. A Brief History of Labor Unions in the United States

2. TERM(S): Factors of production Land
Labor (workers, people and now machines)
Capital ($$$)

3. Working Conditions: 1850s Average work day – 16 hours
Average pay – $6 per week
Had to purchase their own tools
Fined for being late (half day’s pay)
Protesting = immediate dismissal (fired)

4. TERM(S): Labor Union Strike Scab
an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals.
Strike
a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to perform work.
Scab
Derogatory term for a strikebreaker, a person who works despite strike action or against the will of other employees

5. Lowell, Massachusetts
Francis Cabot Lowell invented the “factory system” where all steps to create something are under one roof
Factories in Lowell were filled with young women from local farms
In 1834 and 1836 the factories cut wages and the first major strikes were initiated

6. TERM(S)
Socialist – someone who believes in the political theory that desires common ownership and cooperative management .
Anarchist – someone who believes in the political theory which considers the state undesirable, unnecessary and harmful, and instead promotes a stateless society.
Radical – political desire for massive change in society.

7. Haymarket (Affair, Riot, or Massacre – call it what you will)
Occurred in 1886 in Chicago
Unknown individual threw a bomb into a crowd of police officers
Killed 8 police officers and 4 civilians
It is estimated that over 100 protestors were killed by the police when they opened fire on the crowd.
8 anarchists were arrested and tried for murder
4 were convicted and executed, a 5th committed suicide in prison

8. Haymarket: Cause and Effect
What were the causes of Haymarket?
working conditions
low wages
long hours
violence against union members
What were the effects of Haymarket?
continued distrust
creation of more radical leaders
more national attention (both in support of and in opposition to labor unions)
unified workers across the country

9. TERM(S): Haymarket Affair
discuss in your group and come up with a 1-2 sentence summary.

10. See a difference?

11. American Federation of Labor (AFL)
Original goals:
Prohibition of child labor
National eight hour work day
Exclusion of foreign contracts
Attempted to achieve these by legislation
Accepted “trade unions” and opposed “industrial union” WHAT?
“Hard work conquers all!”

12. AFL Leader: Samuel Gompers

13. TERM(S): American Federation of Labor (AFL)
discuss in your group and come up with a 1-2 sentence summary.

14. The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or Wobblies)
International union founded in 1905 in Chicago by socialists, anarchists and radicals
Opposed the policies of the American Federation of Labor (AFL)
The IWW believed that the AFL had failed – only 5% of workers in the U.S. were unionized
Unionized skilled and unskilled workers, unlike the AFL

15. IWW Leader: Eugene V. Debs

16. IWW Leader: William “Big Bill” Haywood

17. IWW (Continued) IWW Goals
Worker solidarity – “an injury to one is an injury to all”
Workplace democracy / self-management
Eventual overthrow of the employing class with the factors of production being owned by the workers

18. TERM(S): Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or Wobblies)
discuss in your group and come up with a 1-2 sentence summary.

19. Pullman Strike
Pullman Palace Car Company cut the wages of workers in the 1890s
Workers refused to “switch” Pullman cars at rail stations
When workers were disciplined, 125,000 workers walked off the job
More than 2,000 federal troops were called in and “broke” the strike
13 strikers were killed and 57 were wounded. The leader of the strike was sent to jail

20. TERM(S): Pullman Strike
discuss in your group and come up with a 1-2 sentence summary.