1. Big Business and Labor The Workplace, Strikes, and the Rise of Labor Unions

2. Monopolies - exclusive control of a commodity or service in a particular market, or a control that makes possible the manipulation of prices

3. Sherman Anti-Trust Act Tried to regulate anything that created market monopolies by outlawing any companies that interfered with the governments ability to regulate interstate commerce.

4. The Work Force
Immigrants
Women
Children

5. Piece work
Paying factory workers for each finished product, rather than by a salary or hourly wage

6. Sweat shop
Long Hours, low wages, unsafe conditions

7. Division of labor
Breaking down jobs into small, simple, repetitive (and boring) parts

8. The Work Environment
Dirty
Dangerous
Long Hours

9. Children at Work Jacob Riis Work was very dangerous for kids
Dirty work environment led to health problems for kids

10. Kids couldn’t attend school
Families needed the money
Kids were paid less

12. Growing Gulf Between the Rich and the Poor
Socialism – redistribution of wealth

13. Rise of Labor Unions
Knights of Labor – Skilled and Un-skilled Workers

14. American Federation of Labor (AFL)
Led by Samual Gompers
No Blacks or Women
group of smaller craft unions, only allowed skilled labor

15. Wobblies – International Workers of the World, unskilled labor only

16. Eugene V. Debs – anti-violence labor activist
Spent time in prison for his roll in the Pullman strike
Later became a socialist
Ran for President 5 times!

17. Reactions
Firing, forbidding, yellow dog contracts, refusing collective bargaining, refusing to recognize

18. Railroad Strike of 1877
Prompted by wage cuts and increased safety hazards
Workers respond with violence
Rutherford B Hays sends in Federal Troops

19. Haymarket Riot - 1886 Protest for an 8 hour day SCABS VS STRIKERS
Anarchists – gave speeches against “factory lords”
Violence erupts, strikers and police are killed
8 Anarchists are arrested, and four are hung

20. Homestead Strike – 1892
Strikers vs. Wage cuts in a Carnegie owned steel mill
Carnegie’s 2nd in Command cuts wages while Carnegie is out of the country

21. US Steel calls in the Pinkertons, a shootout ensues

22. Public sympathize with the strikers until the anarchists arrive and attempt to assassinate Frick
The public begins to associate unions and strike with anarchists and violence

23. Pullman Strike – 1894
Pullman built a model city to attract the best workers
Wage cuts lead to protest
Strikes spread to the whole nation, disrupting the mail service

24. Pullman appeals to the Federal Government for help
Government helps because the strikers are interfering with the mail.
This sets the pattern of government response to strikes for years to come.