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Labor Struggles in Industrial America: Forming Unions Against Injustice

Explore the reactions, dangers, and victories of labor unions during industrialization in America. Learn why unions formed, the challenges faced, and the significant strikes that shaped labor history. Discover the evolution from early organizing to violent labor relations, management and government responses, and the enduring belief in unions as a powerful tool for workers' rights.

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Labor Struggles in Industrial America: Forming Unions Against Injustice

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Presentation Transcript

  1. Industrialization Labor Reactions

  2. The Development of Labor Unions • Why did labor Unions form during this era? • Long Hours • 6-7 day workweeks • 12+ hour workdays • Low Wages • In sweatshops • 27 cents for a child’s 14-hour day • 1899 – women earned an average of $267 a year; men $498 • Danger • Injuries = common • 1882 – an average of 675 laborers were killed in work-related accidents each week • Lack of worker benefits • No vacation, sick leave, unemployment compensation and injury reimbursement • Child Labor • 1890-1910 – 20% of boys & 10% of girls under 15 held full time jobs

  3. Early Labor Organizing • National Labor Union (NLU) • 1st large scale national organization of laborers • Formed – 1866 • Membership ~ 640,000 • Big accomplishment – helping legalize the 8 hour work day for gov’t workers • Knights of Labor • Motto – “ An injury to one is the concern of all” • Membership open to all • ~ 700,000 • Supported an 8 hour workday and “equal pay for equal work” • Strikes were a last resort • Instead advocated arbitration

  4. Knights of Labor Department of Labor

  5. Labor Unions Diversify • Craft Unionism • Included skilled workers form one or more trades • Industrial Unionism • Included both skilled and unskilled workers in a specific industry • Labor Unions in the West • Small unions • Increased the strength of the labor mov’t / the tension between labor and management

  6. Labor Relations Turned Violent: Strikes • Industry and gov’t responded forcefully to union activity • Saw it as a threat to capitalism • Various strikes turned violent • The Great Strike of 1877 • Strikers protesting wage cuts at B&O Railroad • Federal troops ended it • The Haymarket Affair • Strikers protesting police brutality • Bomb was tossed into a line of police • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OQxncb2ihQ • Homestead Strike • Steelworkers strike against cut wages • Broken up by the National Guard • Pullman Company Strike • Strikers protesting lay offs, wage cuts and high rent • Broke up by federal troops

  7. Management & Government Reactions to Unions • The more powerful unions became, the more employers came to fear them • Ways that management tried to undue labor progress • Not “officially” recognizing unions • Forbidding union meetings • Firing union members • Turning the Sherman Antitrust Act against labor • By claiming that strikes, boycotts, etc. would hurt interstate trade • Despite setbacks, workers still viewed unions as powerful tool

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