Labor Reform in the Progressive Era

Working in the 1800s Average Hours worked per week: 60 Average wage per hour: $0.10 To make ends meet, many laborers had to send their children to work in the factories Children as young as 10 years old worked 40 and fifty hour weeks By 1890, 20% of all children ages 10-15 had full time jobs Twelve year old girl working full time as a textile spinner in 1908

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire March 25, 1911 Garment producer in New York City 146 garment workers were killed in a fire Conditions at the factory contributed to the loss of life New York Fire Department battling the blaze at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Fire started in the upper floors Factory doors were locked from the outside Prevent theft Prevent unauthorized breaks Workers weren’t able to exit the building Melted windows and fire escape, which collapsed, sending several people to the ground below

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Fire escapes weren’t sufficient for the building Made too small to save money Made of inferior material Caused a collapse that caused its occupants to fall 100 feet to their deaths on the street below Many people, unable to get to the lone staircase or an elevator, jumped to their deaths from the upper stories Those that didn’t jump allowed themselves to be consumed by flames

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Dead jumpers from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire

The Aftermath Building owners were convicted of manslaughter New laws were put in place to prevent such a tragedy from happening again Fire alarms and sprinklers Fire extinguishers Better building access Limitation of child labor

Labor Unions Designed to protect and promote the interests of the labor force Works and negotiates with employers for better wages, improved working conditions, and job security Labor unions and their history with the United States government has been long and tumultuous Labor disputes throughout history Riots and intimidation

Why did unions form? Switch from labor intensive to capital intensive systems during industrialization. Business owners (owners of capital) had more power that workers (owners of labor) This switch allowed owners to get more and more wealthy while not increasing the wages or improving the conditions of the workers By the mid to late 1800s, business owners had complete control of wages, workday, and working conditions

Why did labor unions form? Workers soon realized that as conditions grew steadily worse, their only hope was to band together to improve their jobs Formed the earliest labor unions in the United States Began to work for better wages, better conditions, better hours

What unions do… Collective bargaining Labor union leadership speaks for its members in negotiating with company management Salary Working conditions Fringe benefits The result of collective bargaining sessions is a labor agreement (contract) between management and the workers The contract is usually specified for a period of time After the allotted time, a new contract is negotiated

What unions do… Mediation Arbitration When negotiations between labor and management fall apart, a mediator is brought in A mediator is a neutral third party that listens to the arguments of both sides and helps to find common ground Mediator decisions are usually non-binding Arbitration Involves a third party, like mediation Unlike mediation, the decision of the arbitrator is legally binding.

What happens when collective bargaining fails? Strike A call by the unions for members to stop all work until union demands are met Most strikes are called over wages disagreements or fringe benefits Picketing Parading in front of the company with signs and slogans Gain public support Place pressure on company management

What happens when collective bargaining fails? Boycott Primary – refusal to buy company products Secondary – refusal to buy products of firms that do business with the company Company response Lockouts – preventing the workers from working Replacement workers (scabs) – people hired to replace the striking workers Injunctions – court orders preventing workers from striking

Minimum Wage Laws Minimum Wage – the lowest amount of money an employer can legally pay an employee for an hour’s work Fair labor Standards Act of 1938 Set the first minimum wage at $0.40 per hour Initially applied to interstate commerce Was widened to include all business over time Overtime pay Money paid for work extending beyond the mandated limit of 40 hours per week Usually 1 ½ times the regular hourly rate