The Labor Movement

1
The Labor Movement
2
Standard

• SS.912.A.3.2-Industrial Revolution Examine the
  social, political, and economic causes, course,
  and consequences of the Second Industrial
  Revolution that began in the late 19th century
• SS.912.A.3.9 Examine causes, course, and
  consequences of the labor movement in the late
  19th and early 20th centuries.

3
Worker Problems

• Impersonal Conditions
• Long Hours
• Boring, Repetitive tasks
• Low wages
• Child labor
• Periodic unemployment
• Lack of opportunity for advancement
• Unpleasant living conditions

4
Workers organize

• Because the work required little skill, workers
  could easily be replaced
• The only was to achieve better conditions seemed
  to be through worker organization
• Organizations were called labor unions

5
Purpose of Labor Unions

• To obtain higher wages and better working
  conditions
• Mutual Aid societies
• To place pressure on Government

6
National Labor

• As industries nationalized, labor leaders wanted
  unions to nationalize
• The Knights of Labor and American Federation of
  Labor were two early national labor unions

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Knights of Labor

• Founded by Terrence Powederly in 1869
• Both skilled and unskilled workers could join
• African Americans, women, farmers welcomed

8
Demands

• 8 hour work day
• Higher wages
• Safety codes
• No child labor
• No convict labor
• Equal pay for women
• Restrictions on immigration

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• By 1886 they had 700,000 members
• Too big, too loosenot effective
• Unsuccessful strikes led to members leaving

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American Federation of Labor

• Founded by Samuel Gompers in 1881
• Network of craft unions, only skilled workers
• No women and a few allowed African A.
• By 1900 it has 1 million members

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Demands

• 8 hour workday
• Higher pay
• Better conditions
• Closed shop policy

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Tactics of Labor

• Strike
• Picket Line
• Strike Fund

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Tactics of Management

• Strike-breakers (scabs)
• Managers-could fire workers
• Lockout
• Yellow dog contracts-not join union
• Blacklisting
• Pinkertons
• Injunction

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Role of Government

• Favored management for these reasons
• Unions were small
• Role was to protect private property
• Public opinion against unions
• Unions seemed dangerous un-American
• Business contributed to campaign
• Laissez faire
• Anti-strike

15

• Great Railroad Strike
• Haymarket Riot
• Homestead Strike
• Pullman Strike

16

• Ideology-system of related beliefs and ideas
  about people, society and government

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Rise of Ideologies

• Capitalists
• Social Darwinists
• Communist
• Socialists
• Anarchist