13.3 - THE ORGANIZED LABOR MOVEMENT

THE ORGANIZED LABOR MOVEMENT VOCABULARY Knights of Labor Company Towns AFL Eugene Debs Socialism Homestead Strike Samuel Gompers 8. Sweatshops 9. Haymarket Riot 10. Terence Powderly 11. Pullman Strike 12. Collective Bargaining

WORKERS ENDURE HARDSHIPS Factories Long hours- 12 hours a day, 6 days a week Low wages Sweatshops- small, hot, dark and dirty workshops Dangerous conditions Strict owners, quick to fine workers for breaking rules or fire those that missed work Despite these terrible conditions, there were always more workers than jobs

FAMILIES IN THE WORKFORCE As industrialization advanced, more jobs opened up for women Low wages meant that both parents had to work Children also needed to earn a wage to help the family survive By the end of the 1800’s, nearly 20% of children between the ages of 10-16 worked full time. Conditions were very hard for children

LIVING IN COMPANY TOWNS Many laborers were forced to live in isolated communities near their workplaces The housing in these communities were often owned by the company Company Towns- Owned by businesses and rented to employees Businesses often owned a “company store” Goods were expensive and sold on credit with high interest Workers could be arrested if they left their jobs before debts were repaid Workers called this “wage slavery”

LABOR UNIONS FORM Workers tried to gain power against employers by using collective bargaining Collective bargaining- negotiating as a group for better wages or working conditions One form of collective bargaining is the strike, or agreement to cease working until demands are met Strikes could be local or involve all workers in certain industries The first national labor union was formed in 1834- National Trades Union

In the 1830’s, Socialism began to spread Socialism- An economic and political philosophy that favors public control of property and income Distribution of wealth 1848, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote The Communist Manifesto This pamphlet denounced capitalism and predicted that workers would overturn it Many labor activists borrowed ideas from Marx and Engels

FOUNDING THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR Founded in 1869 by Uriah Stephens It included workers from all trades and races/ethnic groups Functioned as a secret society devoted to broad social reform Terence V. Powderly took control in 1881 Former mayor of Scranton, PA (Home of The Office) Encouraged boycotts and negotiations with employers By 1885, the KOL had 700,00 members. After a series of failed strikes, the KOL had largely disappeared by the 1890’s

Forming the American Federation of Labor (AFL) Founded by Samuel Gompers in 1886 AFL was a craft union Loose organization of skilled workers from 100 local unions devoted to specific crafts and trades High dues created a strike and pension fund Focused on wages, hours and conditions Pressed for closed shops- union members only

STRIKES ROCK THE NATION Major strikes of the late 1800's STRIKE YEAR CAUSE EFFECT Railroad Strikes 1877 Response to cuts in workers' wages Set the scene for violent strikes to come Haymarket Square 1886 Part of a campaign to achieve an 8 hour workday Americans became wary of labor unions, KOL blamed for the riot Homestead Strike 1892 Economic depression led to cuts in steelworkers' wages After losing the standoff, steelworkers unions lost power throughout the country Pullman Strike 1893 Wages cut without a decrease in the cost of living in the company town Employers used the courts to limit the influence of unions

RAILROAD STRIKES Workers in West Virginia went on strike to protest wage cuts. President Rutherford B. Hayes sent federal troops to protect the rail roads. This angered strikers and spread to 14 other states. The troops were able to put down the strikers, which became known as the Great Upheaval.

HAYMARKET SQUARE MAY, 1886 Thousands of workers mounted a national demonstration for an 8-hour workday Fights broke out between strikers and strikebreakers Conflict escalated between strikers and police Haymarket Square in Chicago 40,000 workers join in strike Anarchists became involved in the leadership A protestor threw a bomb, killing dozens of police and protestors. Eight anarchists were tried for murder and four were convicted. Many people began to associate unions with violence

HOMESTEAD STRIKE Carnegie Steel Workers in Homestead, PA protested wage cuts. Henry Frick, Carnegie’s partner, instituted a lock out and hired 300 guards to protect the plant. The strikers and guards got in a fight resulting in 16 deaths. Anarchists in the union tried to assassinate Frick As public opinion began to turn against the workers, the strike was called off

PULLMAN STRIKE George Pullman cuts wages, but refuses to lower price of rent and goods in his company town The American Railway Union, led by Eugene V. Debs, supported the strikers and brought a halt to rail traffic. RR owners claimed the strike violated the Sherman Antitrust Act because it disrupted free trade U.S. government stepped in, claiming strikers were committing a federal offense by preventing delivery of U.S. mail Troops were then sent in by President Grover Cleveland and broke the strike up

PULLMAN COMPANY TOWN

PULLMAN WORKERS WALKING OUT

EFFECTS ON THE LABOR MOVEMENT The outcome of the Pullman strike set an important trend Employers now appealed for court orders to halt strikes The government usually backed employers The labor movement split into many factions and lost much of its influence