Need for United Stand against Big Industry Low Wages Economic Crises: Booms and Busts Increasing...

The Organization of Labor in the United States:

1865-1900

Need for United Stand against Big

Industry

Low Wages

Economic Crises:

Booms and Busts

Increasing Labor Pool

The Need for Brotherhood

Little to no Job Security

Poor Working Conditions

Rise of the Machines

Union Animosity/Un-American

Communal wages and work rules

Strikes stop business and America is business

Imported from Europe, hints of Socialism and anarchism

The Irony of AmericaIndustry is allowed to grow and make trusts and pool,But workers are NOT allowed to organize and combine

The National Labor UnionFounded: 1866 Dissolved: 1873

Attempted to combine all Local Trade unions

Skilled and Un-skilled labor allowed to hoin

Farmers added later/Blacks excluded (C.N.L.U.)

Fought For:

8 Hour workday (adopted by U.S. government)

Banning Chinese workers

Strikes in America:

Railroad Strikes of 1877

wage reductionsfederal troops

called in

The Knights of Labor

Founded in 1869 in PhiladelphiaTerrence Powderley expands Union by 1873Membership of unskilled and skilledWomen and blacks allowed membership (1878)More secretive and other trade unions (freemasonry)Union Objectives:

End Child Labor and Convict LaborEqual Pay for WomenCooperativel ownership of Mines and FactoriesProgressive Income TaxSupported Various Strikes

Decline:

Linked to strikes (Haymarket Strike)Unsuccessful strikesUnion infightingLinkage to Populist PartyMembers leave for Socialists and IWW

The Haymarket Square RiotMay 1-4, 1886

The Truly Radical Element

Anarchists:

The state is useless or unwanted therefore

advocating a stateless society.

American Federation of LaborFounded: 1886 by Samuel Gompers

Formed on heels of K.O.L. failures

Membership was skilled workers only

Exclusion of black workers and women

Overview of A.F.L. Philosophy

Do NOT fight capitalism, seek fair share

Strike, boycott, walkout, negotiate. All WORK.

Membership dues required

Promoted closed shop hiring

A Federation of UnionsEach Trade Union was autonomous from the whole

Unions were encourage to “take care” of their own unions

The AFL was like the umbrella sheltering the individual unions

Union Membership Growth

Homestead Steel StrikePittsburgh Steel Mill

Pinkertons called in to put down strike atCarnegie’s factory

Pinkerton’s Defeated

Pennsylvania Militia called in

Call for 22% wage cutUnion locked outNon-Union called in to work

Pullman Car StrikeChicago Railcar Factory: 1894

Nation wide sympathy strikesRail traffic slows heavilyEugene V. Debs leads

Blacks brought in as replacement work

Strike become violentUS Soldiers sent in by Grover Cleveland

Panic of 1893 cuts demandPullman cuts wages12 hour workdaysCut wages but no lowering of rents