Free Write Do you have a job? What are your responsibilities? Is it hard? What are your hours? Do you like working/your job? If you do not have a job, what would be an ideal working situation for you? How can you compare your current working conditions to what you saw and heard about today in class?

A New Workplace Before Civil War, most factories were small and family run –Bosses knew workers by name –By late 1880’s that relationship began to change

New Workplace People worked all day at machines –large, crowded, noisy rooms Extremely long hours for low wages, in hazardous conditions –Sweatshops By 1900 nearly 2 million children under age 15, were at work in factories –12 hours a day, 6 days a week

The Rise of Organized Labor The Knights of Labor- a union for skilled workers only. Haymarket Riot- a violent outbreak between strikers and strikebreakers. –This event caused a drop in support for labor unions

American Federation of Labor AFL- Large union, made up of other smaller trade unions. AFL worked to gain higher wages, shorter hours, and better working conditions. Fought for collective bargaining rights

Women at Work Many women worked in garment factories (clothing factories). Triangle Fire- forced many factories to put safety laws into place

Hard Times From the economy faced a two depressions and a number of recessions. Many workers lost their jobs or were forced to take severe pay cuts. Only skilled workers were able to become members of Unions.