A Brief History of Labor Unions in the United States

A Brief History of Labor Unions in the United States

TERM(S):

• Factors of production Land Labor (workers, people . . . . . and now machines) Capital ($$$)

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)

TERM(S):

• Labor Union 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

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

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.

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

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

TERM(S):

• Haymarket Affair discuss in your group and come up with a 1-2

sentence summary.

See a difference?

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!”

AFL Leader: Samuel Gompers

TERM(S):

• American Federation of Labor (AFL) discuss in your group and come up with a 1-2

sentence summary.

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

IWW Leader: Eugene V. Debs

IWW Leader: William “Big Bill” Haywood

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

TERM(S):

• Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or Wobblies)

discuss in your group and come up with a 1-2 sentence summary.

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

TERM(S):

• Pullman Strike discuss in your group and come up with a 1-2

sentence summary.