1. The Gilded Age: The Labor Movement

2. Workers Face New Problems Gains in industrial productivity came at a price to workers Critics of industrialization called the workers “wage-slaves”

3. Workers Face New Problems Impersonal conditions – workers lost control over their own work environment Long Hours – 10-14 hour days almost every day of the week Boring, repetitive tasks – manufacturing broke production into a series of smaller tasks to increase speed and efficiency ◦Workers would have one thing to do over and over again all day long ◦No satisfaction, very boring, sometimes no talking

4. Workers Face New Problems Low wages – so low, every family member had to work just to feed themselves and pay for clothes and shelter ◦Immigrants, women, and children were paid especially low wages Dangerous conditions – overworked, bored employees often made mistakes ◦No safeguards ◦Unhealthy conditions made workers sick

5. Workers Face New Problems Child labor – children were paid less and were deprived of childhood and an education No benefits– no unemployment insurance ◦No health insurance ◦No pension ◦No sick days No opportunity for advancement – no promotions ◦Lay-offs were common Unpleasant living conditions

6. Workers Organize Once big companies emerged, individual workers lost all bargaining power Since work was mostly unskilled now, workers could easily be replaced Workers had to organize together in order to get anything done – created labor unions

7. Goals of Unions To obtain higher wages and better working conditions ◦Believed if everyone demanded these things, employers would HAVE to listen to them ◦If an employer refused their demands, they would go on strike (all walk off their jobs at the same time) ◦Operations would halt and force the employer to consider the workers’ demands “mutual aid” societies – members of unions would contribute money to funds that would help out other members with benefits and emergency aid To place pressure on government ◦Unions would coordinate their votes to influence politicians ◦Often donated money to particular politicians and campaigns

8. Knights of Labor Labor organization founded by Terrence Powderly in 1869 Membership open to skilled and unskilled workers Demanded an 8-hr workday, higher wages, and safety codes in factories Opposed child labor and favored equal pay for women Wanted restrictions on immigration Too loosely organized ◦Skilled workers resented being equal to unskilled workers ◦General public saw them as too extreme ◦Fell apart when members began leaving

9. American Federation of Labor (AFL) Labor organization founded in 1881 by Samuel Gompers Federation of several national craft unions (carpenters, shoemakers, etc.) Membership to only skilled workers and didn’t allow women and most African Americans Focus on immediate goals – higher pay, an 8 hr workday, better conditions in the work place, and a closed shop policy (employer promises to hire only union members) Emphasis on bargaining with employers but would support strikes sometimes Became leading voice of organized labor Weak because alienated unskilled laborers (most of workforce)

10. Tactics of Labor Picket line – while on strike, union workers carried signs outside their place of employment to win public support and prevent the use of strike-breakers Strike fund – to support themselves during a strike, union members made contributions to this fund

12. Tactics of Management Managers could just fire striking workers and hire new ones Lockout – if management didn’t agree to worker demands, they could close the factory to keep the workers from their jobs Striker-breakers, or scabs – temporary workers hired by management to operate the factory, mine or mill while the regular workers were out on strike ◦Often African American or immigrant workers

13. Tactics of Management Yellow Dog Contracts – agreements employers would force workers to sign in which they would promise not to join a union Blacklisting – union leaders and members were often fired and their names would be circulated to other employers so they couldn’t find another job Pinkertons – private detectives hired by employers to spy on union leaders and break up strikes, often with violence or even murder Injunction – a court order prohibiting a strike; could use the police to break it up

14. Role of Government Government leaders were often biased towards businesses and saw unions negatively Why? ◦Few workers were unionized ◦Public opinion was anti-union – people saw it as violent and chaotic, associated with socialism ◦People believed businesses had done lots to improve the economy ◦Laissez faire economy (free market, little governmental interference) gave businesses lots of power with little supervision

15. Milestones of Labor Movement – Haymarket Riot, 1886 Nationwide strike in favor of 8 hr workday In front of McCormick Harvesting Machine factory in Chicago, strikers began fighting with strikebreakers - Police fired into the crowd and killed several demostrators Anarchist leaders (people who believed in overthrowing capitalist society and establishing self- governing communities) organized a riot in Haymarket Square ◦Ads for rally accused police of killing strikers on purpose in order to benefit business

16. Haymarket Riot Rally began peacefully at first… But then police approached and ordered the crowd to disperse A bomb was thrown at the police and one man died, then the police open fired into the crowd Ten total died from both sides Effects – associated unions with violence and anarchism in the mind of the public Many leaders of rally arrested and put to death

17. Milestones of Labor Movement – Homestead Strike, 1892 At Carnegie’s steelworks in Homestead, Pennsylvania Carnegie and partner Henry Frick thought that union rules were slowing them down and decided to refuse to negotiate a new contract for the union Workers went on strike and surrounded the plant with picket lines Frick hired Pinkerton detectives to reopen the mill ◦Tried to sneak past the picket lines at night ◦Violence ensued ◦Strikers defeated the Pinkertons ◦State militia called in to restore order while Frick brought in strike-breakers Further decreased public opinion of unions Blacklisted many leaders and led to the collapse of their union

18. Milestones of Labor Movement – Pullman Strike, 1894 George Pullman – invented sleeping railroad cars Workers lived in Pullman, Illinois – a company town ◦Pullman owned their houses and stores in town Workers went on strike when he lowered their wages but wouldn’t lower his prices and rent ◦After rent, workers were only earning a few cents a day Strike brought railroads in western US to a standstill President sent in troops to end the strike, claiming it interfered with the mail and interstate commerce

19. Rise of Ideology Ideology – a system of related beliefs and ideas about people, society, and government

20. Capitalism Influenced by writing of Adam Smith Believed that free market capitalism was the best system Private ownership of enterprises Freedom of competition Unequal economic classes

21. Social Darwinism Influenced by Charles Darwin Argued that societies were subject to the same laws as other organisms Everyone was in competition with one another, and only the strongest would survive Some people might suffer, but it was natural that the best and strongest people would rise to the top and enjoy positions of power, wealth, and authority

22. Communism Followed the ideas of Karl Marx Claimed that the workers were being exploited and they would eventually rise up against their oppressors The ideal society would be classless and everyone would choose to own everything collectively

23. Socialism Claimed that workers were generally oppressed but their conditions could be gradually improved without a violent revolution Government ownership of industry

24. Anarchism Favored abolition of central government entirely Believed in using violence if necessary