1. CH WORKERS ORGANIZE
AMERICAN HISTORY

2. GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS
Late 1800s Government maintained a hands-off attitude to business
Government became uneasy about the power giant businesses had
1890—Congress passes the SHERMAN ANTI- TRUST ACT
Illegal to form trusts that interfered with free trade
Prohibited monopolies and activities that hindered competition
—only 18 lawsuits were brought under this law

3. 1890—10% of the population controlled 75% of the national wealth
The rich were exceedingly rich with many industrial workers had to survive on $500 per year

4. INDUSTRIAL WORKERS THE WORKFORCE Many factory workers were immigrants
Others were rural Americans that moved to cities to earn a living
Best factory jobs went to native-born whites
African-Americans found work as laborers or household help
Many industrial workers were children
By 1900—1/6 of children aged held a job outside the home
Some as young as age 5 worked to help the family

5. WORKING CONDITIONS
10-hour work days, 6 days a week
No paid vacation, no sick leave, and no compensation for injuries suffered on the job
Employers pressured workers to work as fast as they could
This led to terrible accidents
SWEATSHOPS—cramped workshops set up in shabby tenement buildings
Common in the garment industry

6. WORKERS SEEK CHANGE
Late 1800s—terrible working conditions prompted workers to organize
EARLY ORGANIZING
Labor movement started in the 1700s
1794—Philadelphia shoemakers formed a trade union to protect their interests
Other workers organized over the next few decades—carpenters, blacksmiths, printers, etc.
These unions remained small and local

7. NATIONAL UNIONS
The National Labor Union (NLU) organized in 1866
Federation of small, local unions
Pushed for shorter 8-hour work day
NLU folded in 1872
Knights of Labor (Philadelphia-1869) was more effective
Leader—Terence V. Powderly
1880s—accepted unskilled workers, women, African Americans and even employers

8. It excluded bankers, gamblers, lawyers, liquor sellers, physicians, and stockholders
>700,000 members
“An injury to one is a concern to all”
Proposals—8-hour workday; end of child labor; equal pay for equal work
Early years—discouraged strikes, preferring boycotts, and negotiation with employers
THE GREAT RAILROAD STRIKE
First major railroad strike happened in 1877

9. Times were tough and northern railroads cut wages
Workers for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad walked of the job and blocked several freight trains
Pennsylvania Railroad blocked all trains on their lines
Strike spread to other railroads, stopping most freight traffic for more than a week
Several governors called out their state militias to put down the strikes

10. Baltimore—militia fired into the crowd killing 10
Troops in Pittsburgh killed 20 including 3 children
Mobs in Pittsburgh set trains, buildings, and equipment on fire causing $4 million damage
US Army finally ended the strike that caused deaths
THE HAYMARKET RIOT
1886—more intense strikes
Wage cuts in many industries forced workers to go on strike

11. Haymarket Square (Chicago)—crowds gathered to protest violent police action at a strike the previous day
Someone threw a bomb into the crowd
People panicked and gunfire rang out
When order was restored, 11 people died and over 100 were injured
Police immediately blamed foreign-born unionists
XENOPHOBIA—fear of foreigners
Police arrested numerous suspects—many with foreign sounding names

12. 8 people were charged with conspiracy and murder
No evidence existed to connect these people to the crimes
5 of the suspects weren’t even in Haymarket Square at the time of the incident
All 8 were convicted and sentenced to death
4 were hanged and 1 killed himself in prison
1893—the new Illinois governor pardoned the remaining 3 because of lack of evidence

13. THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR
Employers struck back at workers forcing them to sign contracts saying they would not join a union
Employers kept and shared BLACKLISTS (people perceived as troublemakers)
These people would not be hired
If workers went on strike, employers replaced them with “scabs” or strikebreakers
Scabs were often African Americans or others excluded from the unions

14. 1886—a group of skilled workers led by Samuel Gompers formed the AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR (AFL)
Strikes and other tactics won them wage increases and shorter work weeks
THE HOMESTEAD STRIKE
1892—workers at Carnegie Steel Company in Homestead, PA protested at an increase in production
The refused to work faster
The manager tried to lock them out
The workers seized the plant

15. Days later gunfire erupted when the company’s private guards tried to re-take the plant
Fierce battle raged for 14 hours
16 people died
The governor called out the state militia and within months the steelworkers’ union withered
THE PULLMAN STRIKE
1893—Pullman company laid off 1/3 of its workers
It cut wages of remaining workers by 25% but rent was not lowered

16. Workers went on strike with the support of EUGENE V
Workers went on strike with the support of EUGENE V. DEBS (leader-American Railway Union (ARU))
He urged workers not to work on any train that contained Pullman cars
The government stepped in and ordered an end to the strike because US mail was disrupted
ARU officials refused and were jailed
President Grover Cleveland called in federal troops and the strike collapsed
Workers who didn’t quit the ARU were blacklisted or fired

17. The next several decades saw unions struggle for progress
Unions would eventually gain considerable power
THE END