The Labor Movement

Poor Working Conditions hour work days (Usually 6 days a week) No sick days Unsafe and unhealthy working conditions Dull, repetitive jobs

Poor Working Conditions (Continued) Business owners tried to run factories as cheaply as possible – They omitted safety equipment to save money – Paid workers extremely low wages 1880’s: Avg. weekly income = less than $10, which barely paid a family’s expenses To get by, the entire family had to work, including children

Worker Strikes Unhappy workers began to employ strikes to try to get higher pay and better working conditions Strike – a refusal to work until workers’ demands are met Picket – a form of protest where workers stand outside a workplace to discourage the public from doing business with the company

Labor Unions Because groups of workers acting together have more power to win demands than a single worker, many formed Labor Unions by the 1850’s Labor Union - Group of workers who negotiate with employers for better pay and/or working conditions Labor unions often organize strikes when negotiations do not work Examples: – Knights of Labor – American Federation of Labor