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Labor Unions & Strikes

Labor Unions & Strikes. United States History. Three Choices for Workers…. Continue in misery Join a Union and possibly get fired or even killed Become a communist and start a revolution. Socialism. Public control of property & income Society should be in charge of wealth

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Labor Unions & Strikes

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  1. Labor Unions & Strikes United States History

  2. Three Choices for Workers… • Continue in misery • Join a Union and possibly get fired or even killed • Become a communist and start a revolution

  3. Socialism • Public control of property & income • Society should be in charge of wealth • Wealth should be redistributed equally • Karl Marx & Frederick Engels • How to get this done? Workers revolution

  4. Could This Happen In America? • How could this help workers? • Who would be against Socialism/Communism in America? • This is radical—is there something less radical that would help workers?

  5. Less Radical—Labor Unions • Unions: improve working conditions (not overthrow the system) • Collective Bargaining • Strikes (last resort) • Best—national strike • Why was this appealing to workers?

  6. Knights of Labor • First important national union • Wanted to organize ALL workers: skilled, unskilled and of all backgrounds (no racial restrictions) • Set the example: negotiate, then strike if needed • Goals: 8 hour day; end of child labor • Lost influence after violent strikes

  7. Other Unions • American Federation of Labor (AFL): • Smaller local unions with a national organization • Wages, hours, conditions • Strikes, collective bargaining • Barred African-Americans • Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) • Wobblies • Socialists

  8. Wobblies View of the World

  9. Employers’ Reaction • No Union Meetings • Union organizers fired • Blacklisting • Yellow Dog contracts • Would not bargain collectively • Strikes met with violence

  10. The Great Strikes • Haymarket Riot (1896)—8 hour workday (national strike); scabs hired in Chicago (fights); rally—bombing & gunfight btw. Police & strikers; Ill. Law: help with murder, then you are a murderer: 4 anarchists hanged for murder (one blew himself up in prison). Never determined who threw the bomb. • Homestead Strike (1892)—Carnegie Steelworkers called a strike (factory cut their wages) & were fired; management sent in “private” police force (fight with deaths); strike called off • Pullman Strike (1894): Company town; wages cut 25% (Panic of 1893); food prices in town NOT cut; Pullman fired three negotiators; strike; al RR traffic halted; strike ordered illegal because mail couldn’t get through

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