Unions There were two basic types of industrial workers in the United States in the 1800s Common laborers Craft workers – these are workers that had special skills and training. Craft workers also received higher wages and had more control over how they organized their time. The following are some of those craft workers: Machinists Iron molders Stonecutters Glass-blowers Shoemakers (cobblers) Printers Carpenters

Unions Craft workers began to form trade unions in the 1830s, as industrialism began to grow. A trade union was limited to people with certain skills. By 1873 there were 32 national trade unions in the United States. Industry was opposed to trade unions because they represented workers whose skills they needed. Industrial unions, opposed by large corporations, because they united all craft workers and common laborers in a particular industry.

Unions Workers who organized a union or a strike were fired and put on a blacklist. Troublemakers If a union was formed, companies used a lockout to break it. (no workers allowed) The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 First nationwide protest where workers walked off the job and blocked tracks 80,000 workers eventually went on strike

Unions Knights of Labor – the first nationwide industrial union Demanded an 8 hour workday Equal pay for women No child labor Arbitration – a process where an impartial third party helps mediate between workers and management Haymarket Riot caused the popularity of the Knights of Labor to decline. Protests in Chicago left several dead after violence erupted