Labor Unions Form Knights of Labor AFL- American Federation of Labor Better Pay Better Working Conditions Terrence V. Powderly Shorter Hours ·men ·women ·African-Americans ·unskilled laborers ·pushed for collective bargaining ·by 1904 over 1.6 Million members Samuel Gompers
Child Labor Cause: By 1900 Thousands of children under 16 are working Effect: Child Labor Laws are Created Had to be at least 12 years old Could not work more than 10 hours a day Owners often ignore these laws!
Women Workers by over 1,000,000 worked in factories received 1/2 the pay as men ILGWU- Internattional Ladies' Garment Workers Union ·formed after a sweatshop fire in NYC killed 150 women Mary Harris Jones " Mother Jones"- fought for labor rights for 50 years
Working Conditions Before Labor Unions Hour Workdays- 6 Days a Week Workers Easily Fired Immigrants would replace fired workers- they would work for less $$ Unsafe & Unhealthy steel workers were burned coal miners died in "cave-ins" textile workers damaged lungs- lint in the air sweatshops- crowded factories that became firetraps
Results of Strikes in the late 1800's/ early 1900's Strike Breakers Replace Striking Workers Violence occurs Injunctions are ordered The government intervenes and brings in replacement workers
Major Strikes of the late 1800's RR Strike of Workers were forced to take pay cuts and strike breakers were brought in to replace striking workers Haymarket Riot of A bomb exploded after strikers were protesting the killing of 4 strikers- A police Officer is killed Homestead Strike of Wages are cut and while on strike the replacement workers were protected by the state government. Pullman Strike of Wages are cut and workers go on strike but the owners get an injunction to stop the strike.