Labor Movement

Workers face New Problems Impersonal Conditions Workers lost influence over their own working conditions Long Hours 6 or 7-day work weeks 10 to 14-hour days

Boring, Repetitive Tasks Low Wages Wages so low workers could not afford food All family members worked Dangerous Conditions

Periodic Unemployment Child Labor One out of every 5 children under the age of 15 were working outside the home by 1910. Periodic Unemployment Injury Illness – no sick days

Lack of Opportunities for Advancement Unpleasant Living Conditions Living in slums

Workers organize Labor unions – organizations of workers Goals of Unions Higher wages and better working conditions “Mutual Aid” Societies – members of unions would add to a fund to provide pensions and insurance in times of need Place pressure on the government

Labor Unions Knights of Labor Founded by Terrence Powderly in 1869 A nationwide union for all workers African-Americans and women welcomed Favored: 8-hour work day Safety codes for factories Equal pay for women Restrictions on immigration

The American Federation of Labor Founded by Samuel Gompers in 1881 Membership only skilled laborers in craft unions No women

Wanted: Higher pay 8-hour work day Employers to only higher union members – known as “closed shop” Hostile to immigration Less successful than the Knights of Labor bc no unskilled labor

Tactics of Labor and Management Labor Tactics Strikes – workers walk off their jobs and picket that factory or workplace “picket lines” – workers carried signs near workplace while on strike Collective bargaining – workers act together in negotiating new contracts for higher wages and better working conditions.

Management Tactics Lockout – closing down a factory or mill so that workers cannot work there Strike-breakers (“scabs”) – temporary workers who fill jobs during a strike, often from a different ethnic group from most of the strikers.

Black-listing – circulating names of fired employees to other employers “Yellow-Dog” contract – forcing workers to sign an agreement not to unionize Pinkertons – Private detectives used to break up strikes Injunction – a court order to end a strike.

1st Period Teacher Vocabulary USA TP Activity Akur Ashley Brooke Kevin William Vocabulary Scott Christian Deziray Khalib Joshua USA TP Paytin Naomi Dakota Hunter Patrick Activity Blaine Tyler Jack Taylor Karla

3rd period Teacher Vocabulary USA TP Activity Juan Clif Nicholas Michaela Jadyn Vocabulary Carlos Johnathon G. Ryan Jonathon B. Cameron USA TP Jacob Khalil Kaleb Kaya Activity Gabe Caleb Jamie Xavier Keiora

6th Teacher Vocab USA TP Activity Bryan Ali Sammie Ariyana Naishalee Tyler Vocab Breanna Brandon D. Nicholas Kreighton Nicole USA TP Brandon B. Richard Christian Sebastian Carine Brianna Activity Kellee Malik Anna Parker Joy Elijah

7th Teacher Yasmeen Abigail Leslie Vito Anthony Dorothy Vocab USA TP Madyson Aaron Destiny Trinity Jacobs S Nathaniel USA TP Sarymar Matthew Julian Asaiah Jacob R Austin Activity James Zoe Seth Daniel Hunter Gage

Milestones of the early labor movement The Haymarket Riot (1886) An explosion during a labor demonstration in Haymarket Square Labor leaders arrested for starting a riot Four hanged Labor movement became associated with violence

Homestead Strike (1892) Carnegie and Henry C. Frick decided to break a union and lockout workers from Homestead Steelworks. Workers went on strike and picketed around the mill Pinkertons tried to break up but were defeated by strikers State militia came in to protect the mill. Frick sent in strike-breakers Workers gave in, ending unionization in steel mills.

Pullman Strike (1894) Pullman had a company town where employees lived Pullman lowered wages but not prices in town Workers went on strike Eugene Debs of the American Railway Union joined causing trains to stop in the west President Cleveland called in federal troops to end the strike.

Rise of ideology Ideology – a system of beliefs about society Capitalists Believed that free market capitalism was the best system Social Darwinists Believed that humans compete for survival and that those who are naturally superior will meet with the greatest success’s.

Communists Socialists Believed in the ideology developed by Karl Marx, calling for revolution by workers (proletariat) to overthrow the bourgeoisie and establish a classes society. Socialists Believed in the ideology in favor of government ownership of the means of production to improve conditions for workers.