The Industrial Age Outcome: Labor Supply & Organized Labor

Factories Need Workers!

Labor Supply 1. Setting the Stage A. By 1890, the frontier was officially considered closed B. Free land was no longer available to settlers moving west C. Two waves of immigrants would come to settle America D. Differences in culture, as well as competition for jobs would create tension

Labor Supply 2. Sources of Labor During the Industrial Age A. Migration from farms to cities (Urbanization) i. Between 1860-1915 rural population doubled, but population grew 700%! ii. By 1915, more than 1 in 3 people living in cities came from farms. Why? 1. Young, single women saw little futures on farms 2. Many migrants were black southern sharecroppers seeking a better life in Northern industrial cities 3. Farms were becoming larger & more mechanized which meant less human power was needed.

Labor Supply B. Immigrants provided a large pool of labor for industry i. Immigrants arrived in 2 large waves or periods 1. Wave #1 (Before 1880) = “Old Immigrants” A. Almost all came from Northern and Western Europe B. Ex. Great Britain, Germany, Scandinavia

Old Immigrants

Labor Supply 2. Wave #2 (After 1880)= “New Immigrants” A. More than one-third came from Southern or Eastern Europe B.Ex: Italy, Greece, Slavic C. Their different languages, religions, and customs set them apart from most “old immigrants,” feeding intolerance D. Contributed to a surplus of labor by mid 1880’s E. Became targets of discrimination, fueled by renewed attitude of Nativism among some “old immigrants” F. Nativis: a prejudice by native-born Americans against new immigrants, fueled by cultural differences & economic threat

New Immigrants

Labor Supply 3. Industry Exploited Workers A. Coal mines (boys) and textile factories (girls & women) B. Women and children made up more than 50% of the industrial workforce in 1880’s C. Workers no longer felt valued by their employers, but became interchangeable parts in the machine of industry. D. Workers faced i. low pay ii. Long hours iii. Poor & unsafe working conditions E. Felt powerless (a single worker was no match against an employer)

Organized Labor A. Unionism was legalized in 1842 B. Philosophy: a group is more powerful than an individual C. 3 goals- To improve worker’s : i. Wages ($$$) ii. Hours iii. Working conditions D. Father of Unionism in America was Samuel Gompers (est. the AFL in 1886)

Unionism

Organized Labor 5. Tactics A. Ideally collective bargaining (negotiating) will help settle a contract dispute B. Union Tactics i. Slow-Down: work slower or produce fewer goods ii. Strike (walk-out) : workers leave place of work, together iii. Boycott (used by consumers) : refusal to by goods from specific company Iv. Sit-down strike: sit down on the job and refuse to work (illegal)

Strike!!!

Boycott

Organized Labor C. Management Tactics i. Speed-Up: force workers to increase input ii. Lock-out: lock out workers so they cannot work or get paid iii. Hire scabs or replacement workers (often the “new immigrants”) iv. Blacklist: circulate names to other businesses with intent to not hire (illegal) V. Yellow-dog contract: Contract stating you cannot join a union (illegal

Organized Labor 6. Mediation & Arbitration A. Mediation: a 3rd party suggest B. Arbitration: a 3rd party decides C. Injunction: Court Order D. These three tactics usually worked in favor of management during the Industrial Age

Organized Labor Generalizations Unions lost most labor disputes (management had many advantages) Violence caused union membership to decline by 1900 Owners disliked unions Unions resented the “new immigrants” (Nativism increased) Socialism was gaining appeal to workers