The Rise of Labor Unions

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The Rise of Labor Unions
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The Rich v. The Poor

• By 1890, the richest 9 of the of Americans held
  nearly 75 of the national wealth
• Many workers began to resent the lavish
  lifestyles of their rich owners, and began to
  organize in an effort to establish a better work
  system

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The Gulf Between the Rich and the Poor

• Socialisman economic and political philosophy
  that favors public instead of private control of
  property and income.
• Socialists believe that society, not private
  individuals, should control a nations wealth.
  That wealth should be distributed equally to
  everyone.

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Socialism

• Karl MarxGerman Philosopher who wrote Communist
  Manifesto, which denounced capitalism

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What Did Workers Want?

• Workers generally wanted
• Shorter workdays
• Higher wages
• Better working conditions
• An end to child labor
• Collective Bargaining negotiate as a group w/
  employers

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The Knights of Labor

• A national union
• Recruited skilled and unskilled workers, women,
  and African Americans
• Emphasized education social reform

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The American Federation of Labor (AFL)

• Led by Samuel Gompers
• Was for skilled workers
• Used collective bargaining as a strategy

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Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

• Known as The Wobblies
• Organized unskilled workers
• Radical socialist leaders
• Violent strikes.

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Reaction of Employers

• Many employers disliked and feared unions.
• forbid union meetings
• fire union organizers
• forcing new employees to sign yellow dog
  contracts, making them promise never to join a
  union or participate in a strike

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Reaction of Employers

• refusing to bargain collectively when strikes did
  occur
• refusing to recognize unions as their workers
  legitimate representatives

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The Great Railroad Strike of 1877

• Workers protested unfair wage cuts unsafe
  working conditions.
• Was violent and unorganized.
• Pres. Hayes sent federal troops to put down the
  strikes.
• Employers relied on federal and state troops to
  repress labor unrest.

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Haymarket Strike 1886

• National strike of all workers calling for an
  8-hour workday
• In Chicagos Haymarket Square, during a
  demonstration, a bomb was exploded in police
  formation
• A riot broke out, and dozens were killed
• Four anarchists were hung
• The public began to associate Unions with
  violence and anarchy and radicalism

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Homestead Strike 1892

• Carnegie Steel cut wages in Homestead, PA
• Henry Frick called in police to kill strike
  leaders, in retaliation, strikers attempted to
  assassinate Frick
• Again, the public decried strikes and denounced
  Unions as violent

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Pullman Strike 1894

• Strike of Pullman Railroads, tried to stop the
  railroads from running
• Courts ruled the act of interfering with the
  railroad illegal, as it disrupted the federal
  mail
• The courts now support owners as well