Labor Movement

Essential QuestionWhat were the strategies used by

organized labor and why were some strikes successful when others failed?

Knights of Labor

founded in 1878by Terrence V. Powderlymembership open to all workers

skilled & unskilledmen & womenall races, religions, & ethnic

groups

Goals of Knights8 hour dayend to child laborend to convict laborequal pay for women &

minoritiessafety codes for workplacenationalization of RR &

telegraph

Haymarket Square, 1886 May Day

demonstration for 8 hour day

Strike at McCormick reaper factory, Chicago

May 4th rally in Haymarket Square

3000 attend

Bomb thrown--7 policemen dead

Police fire on crowd—12 dead

Newspapers blame unions

8 anarchist arrested & charge with instigation

4 hanged, 1 suicide, 3 jailed then acquitted

Destroyed Knights of Labor

United Mine Workersfounded by John L LewisGoals:

8 hour dayend child labor in minessafety codes for mineshealth care for workers with

“Black Lung”

American Railway Union founded by Eugene

Debs, 1893sought to unite all

workers on Railroads

wanted shorter hours & better wages

Debs jailed during Pullman Strike

IWW: IndustrialWorkers of the World founded in 1905 lead by Big Bill Haywood

also Joe Hill & Mary Harris “Mother” Jones revolutionaries

Lawrence Textile Mill Strike“Bread & Roses”

AFL: American Federation of Labor

founded 1881by Samuel Gompers

full-time union officials to...organize, negotiate, control strikes

skilled workers onlyno women or minorities