Workers of the Nation Unite

Who was Eugene V. Debs? How did socialism effect America’s views on Unions? What was the Haymarket Riot? What impact did the Haymarket riot have on the labor movement? How did the government react to the Great RR strike?

Workers are Exploited The average factory worker worked 12 or more hours a day, six days a week. Workers got no vacation, sick leave, unemployment compensation or reimbursement for injuries. On average, 675 workers were killed each week in 1882. Children were also exploited, some as young as 5 years old worked full time.

Craft Unionism Samuel Gompers formed the American Federation of Labor (AFL), and focused on collective bargaining. The AFL was the first group to use strikes as a major tool. The AFL dealt only with skilled workers.

Industrial Unionism Eugene V. Debs formed the American Railway Union (ARU), which worked with a specific industry, and included both skilled and unskilled labor.

Socialism After being jailed, Debs turned toward socialism. He believed that the system of capitalism made the rich richer & the poor poorer. Socialism promoted the governmental control of business and property based on the equal distribution of wealth. Taken to its extreme form, communism, devised by Karl Marx, advocated the overthrow of the capitalist system through revolution. The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) or “Wobblies” led by “Big Bill” Haywood, was the first union to embrace socialism.

The Great Strike of 1877 Workers on the Baltimore & Ohio (B & O) RR struck and refused to move any train cars. The strike spread through the entire nation. Riots erupted. President Hayes called in army troops to take over the RRs on the grounds that the strikers were interfering with interstate commerce.

Haymarket Affair The public began to turn against labor violence. Protesters assembled in Haymarket Square in Chicago, protesting the death of a striker killed by police. Someone threw a bomb at the police who were working the protest. 7 officers were killed and many workers died in the ensuing riot. 8 labor leaders were convicted of the bombing, 4 were hanged, one committed suicide, and the rest went to prison.

Homestead Strike Henry Frick, Andrew Carnegie’s partner, replaced strikers with scabs & hired armed guards to protect the plant. A riot broke out that left three detectives dead & six workers dead. The Pennsylvania National Guard was brought in to restore order.

Pullman Strike Pullman hired strikebreakers & it turned violent. Debs was arrested & sent to jail. Debs asked for arbitration against the Pullman Co. but was refused, so he led the ARU in a strike.