A Brief History of Labor Unions in the United States

TERM(S): Factors of production Land (you must have space in order to produce anything) Labor (workers, people. . .and now, in many cases, machines) Capital (without money, you would not be able to purchase supplies or pay your workers) Can you produce anything without each of the three factors of production?

Working Conditions: 1850s Average work day – 16 hours Average pay – $6 per week Had to purchase their own tools Fined for being late (half day’s pay) Protesting = immediate dismissal (fired)

TERM(S): Labor Union Strike Scab an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals. Strike a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to perform work. Scab Derogatory term for a strikebreaker, a person who works despite strike action or against the will of other employees

TERM(S) Socialist – someone who desires common ownership and cooperative management amongst workers. Anarchist – someone who considers government to be undesirable and unnecessary. Radical – someone who desires a massive change in society.

People’s History of the United States reading

Haymarket Square protest Why did the workers protest? working conditions low wages long hours violence against union members (workers protesting for an 8-hour workday at the McCormick Harvesting Co. were killed by police the previous day) The major goal of the protestors was to earn the right to an 8-hour work day.

Haymarket (Affair, Riot, or Massacre – call it what you will) Occurred in 1886 in Chicago’s Haymarket Square Police, after hours of peaceful protest and speeches by leading union members, began to march towards the protestors. An unknown individual threw a bomb into a crowd of police officers The bomb killed 8 police officers and 4 civilians It is estimated that over 100 protestors were killed by the police when they opened fire on the crowd. 8 anarchists were arrested and tried for murder 4 were convicted and executed, a 5th committed suicide in prison

Haymarket: Effect on Labor Unions What were the effects of Haymarket? continued distrust creation of more radical leaders more national attention (both in support of and in opposition to labor unions) unified workers across the country The universal 8-hour work day was not fully realized until 1937, but Haymarket was the beginning. Immediately following Haymarket, many employers began setting an 8-hour day as company policy.

TERM(S): Haymarket Affair discuss in your group and come up with a 2-3 sentence summary.

Ludlow Massacre Where: Colorado 1913-1914 Who: Miners (United Mine Workers of America), Rockefeller family Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, National Guard. Why Strike? Living and Working conditions What Happened? https://youtu.be/6qIHN68YNXw

TERM(S): Ludlow Massacre discuss in your group and come up with a 2-3 sentence summary.

Twenty Years at Hull House reading (pg. 299)

Twenty Years at Hull House What was “Hull House”? Community Center in urban neighborhood founded by Jane Addams. Residence, Research and Reform What recourse did parents have if their child was injured in the workplace? What was Jane Addams working towards? Improve the lives of those that lived in slums through legislation and education.

American Federation of Labor (AFL) Original goals: Prohibition of child labor National eight hour work day Exclusion of foreign contracts Attempted to achieve these by legislation Accepted “trade unions” and opposed “industrial union” WHAT? “Hard work conquers all!”

AFL Leader: Samuel Gompers

TERM(S): American Federation of Labor (AFL) discuss in your group and come up with a 2-3 sentence summary.

The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or Wobblies) International union founded in 1905 in Chicago by socialists, anarchists and radicals Opposed the policies of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) The IWW believed that the AFL had failed – only 5% of workers in the U.S. were unionized Unionized skilled and unskilled workers, unlike the AFL

IWW Leader: Eugene V. Debs

IWW Leader: William “Big Bill” Haywood

IWW (Continued) IWW Goals Worker solidarity – “an injury to one is an injury to all” Workplace democracy / self-management Eventual overthrow of the employing class with the factors of production being owned by the workers

TERM(S): Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or Wobblies) discuss in your group and come up with a 2-3 sentence summary.