CH. 14-3 WORKERS ORGANIZEAMERICAN HISTORY

GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS

Late 1800s Government maintained a hands-off attitude to business

Government became uneasy about the power giant businesses had

1890—Congress passes the SHERMAN ANTI-TRUST ACT

Illegal to form trusts that interfered with free trade

Prohibited monopolies and activities that hindered competition

1890-1901—only 18 lawsuits were brought under this law

1890—10% of the population controlled 75% of the national wealth

The rich were exceedingly rich with many industrial workers had to survive on $500 per year

INDUSTRIAL WORKERS

THE WORKFORCE

Many factory workers were immigrants

Others were rural Americans that moved to cities to earn a living

Best factory jobs went to native-born whites

African-Americans found work as laborers or household help

Many industrial workers were children

By 1900—1/6 of children aged 10-15 held a job outside the home

Some as young as age 5 worked to help the family

WORKING CONDITIONS

10-hour work days, 6 days a week

No paid vacation, no sick leave, and no compensation for injuries suffered on the job

Employers pressured workers to work as fast as they could

This led to terrible accidents

SWEATSHOPS—cramped workshops set up in shabby tenement buildings

Common in the garment industry

WORKERS SEEK CHANGE

Late 1800s—terrible working conditions prompted workers to organize

EARLY ORGANIZING

Labor movement started in the 1700s

1794—Philadelphia shoemakers formed a trade union to protect their interests

Other workers organized over the next few decades—carpenters, blacksmiths, printers, etc.

These unions remained small and local

NATIONAL UNIONS

The National Labor Union (NLU) organized in 1866

Federation of small, local unions

Pushed for shorter 8-hour work day

NLU folded in 1872

Knights of Labor (Philadelphia-1869) was more effective

Leader—Terence V. Powderly

1880s—accepted unskilled workers, women, African Americans and even employers

It excluded bankers, gamblers, lawyers, liquor sellers, physicians, and stockholders

1886-- >700,000 members

“An injury to one is a concern to all”

Proposals—8-hour workday; end of child labor; equal pay for equal work

Early years—discouraged strikes, preferring boycotts, and negotiation with employers

THE GREAT RAILROAD STRIKE

First major railroad strike happened in 1877

Times were tough and northern railroads cut wages

Workers for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad walked of the job and blocked several freight trains

Pennsylvania Railroad blocked all trains on their lines

Strike spread to other railroads, stopping most freight traffic for more than a week

Several governors called out their state militias to put down the strikes

Baltimore—militia fired into the crowd killing 10

Troops in Pittsburgh killed 20 including 3 children

Mobs in Pittsburgh set trains, buildings, and equipment on fire causing $4 million damage

US Army finally ended the strike that caused 100+ deaths

THE HAYMARKET RIOT

1886—more intense strikes

Wage cuts in many industries forced workers to go on strike

Haymarket Square (Chicago)—crowds gathered to protest violent police action at a strike the previous day

Someone threw a bomb into the crowd

People panicked and gunfire rang out

When order was restored, 11 people died and over 100 were injured

Police immediately blamed foreign-born unionists

XENOPHOBIA—fear of foreigners

Police arrested numerous suspects—many with foreign sounding names

8 people were charged with conspiracy and murder

No evidence existed to connect these people to the crimes

5 of the suspects weren’t even in Haymarket Square at the time of the incident

All 8 were convicted and sentenced to death

4 were hanged and 1 killed himself in prison

1893—the new Illinois governor pardoned the remaining 3 because of lack of evidence

THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR

Employers struck back at workers forcing them to sign contracts saying they would not join a union

Employers kept and shared BLACKLISTS (people perceived as troublemakers)

These people would not be hired

If workers went on strike, employers replaced them with “scabs” or strikebreakers

Scabs were often African Americans or others excluded from the unions

1886—a group of skilled workers led by Samuel Gompers formed the AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR (AFL)

Strikes and other tactics won them wage increases and shorter work weeks

THE HOMESTEAD STRIKE

1892—workers at Carnegie Steel Company in Homestead, PA protested at an increase in production

The refused to work faster

The manager tried to lock them out

The workers seized the plant

Days later gunfire erupted when the company’s private guards tried to re-take the plant

Fierce battle raged for 14 hours

16 people died

The governor called out the state militia and within months the steelworkers’ union withered

THE PULLMAN STRIKE

1893—Pullman company laid off 1/3 of its workers

It cut wages of remaining workers by 25% but rent was not lowered

Workers went on strike with the support of EUGENE V. DEBS (leader-American Railway Union (ARU))

He urged workers not to work on any train that contained Pullman cars

The government stepped in and ordered an end to the strike because US mail was disrupted

ARU officials refused and were jailed

President Grover Cleveland called in federal troops and the strike collapsed

Workers who didn’t quit the ARU were blacklisted or fired

The next several decades saw unions struggle for progress

Unions would eventually gain considerable power

THE END