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The Struggles and Triumphs of Industrial Workers: A Journey Through Labor History

On February 17, 2010, we delve into the life of industrial workers who had no choice but to sell their labor for survival. Ethnic and skill disparities created barriers, yet trade unions emerged to demand better wages and living conditions. With 60% of the workforce being foreign-born immigrants before World War I, many faced job insecurity and low-paying positions. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) provided stability, while the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) represented the radical voice. This exploration highlights the formidable impact of these workers on urban communities and national politics.

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The Struggles and Triumphs of Industrial Workers: A Journey Through Labor History

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Presentation Transcript

  1. Working Class Heroes February 17, 2010

  2. Life as an Industrial Worker • All shred the need to sell labor for wages to survive • Differences in skill and ethnicity created social barriers • Trade unions soon organized which helped bargain for: • Higher Wages • Improved Living Conditions **Industrial workers big part of local and national politics

  3. New Immigrants • Eve of World War I 60% of industrial labor force was foreign born • New immigrants lacked industrial skills • ^^Entered bottom rings of the work force • Used ethnicity as a collective resource for gaining employment in the workforce • Low paid jobs were exclusively for new immigrants

  4. Urban Ghettos • New immigrant communities were tightly packed ghettos • In 1909 two NY garment factories responded to strikes by hiring thugs and prostitutes to beat up picketers • Peak of problems at Triangle Shirtwaist Factory

  5. The AFL • Stands for American Federation of Labor • Emerged in the 1890s • Strongest and most stable organization of workers • Recruited skilled labor into unions organized by craft

  6. The IWW • Industrial Workers of the World • Groups from the WFM and the socialist party founded the IWW in Chicago • Crushed at the start of World War I by the Justice Dept • Interested only in practical gains

  7. Rebels in Bohemia • 1910 group of radicals grouped in Greenwich Village • Became national symbol for rebellion • Merger of political and cultural radicalism • Bohemian referred to someone who had artistic or intellectual aspirations and disregarded conventional rules

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