Labor Union Notes

1. Labor Union Notes

2. Background: • Late 1800s early 1900s • Large immigrant population of unskilled workers – drives down wages • Lots of child labor • No safety or health standards • Union develop as a result

3. Wages • Sweatshops paid the lowest wages • In 1899 • 27 cents for a child’s 14 hour day • Women averaged $267 per year • Men average $498 per year • Andrew Carnegie averaged $23 million in 1900

4. Women/Child Labor • Wages were so low that most families could not survive unless everyone held a job • By 1910 8 million women were working • 20% of boys & 10% of girls under 15 were working • those kids didn’t go to school

5. Knights of Labor • 1st major labor union • Allowed both skilled and unskilled laborers • Wanted laws against child labor and also an 8 hour work day

6. Great Railroad Strike • Economic depression causes railroads to cut costs – cut pay 2x in a row • Baltimore/Ohio line went on strike • militia called in but they sided with strikers • President Hayes send in national guard to end strike (he said it was to protect the mail) • Important because it was first time soldiers were used • People began to dislike Hayes because of it

7. Molly Maguires • Secret organization of coal miners who asked for better wages and retaliated when demands not met by burning equipment, etc. • Infiltrated unions and used force to point of death to make known their demands

8. AFL • Organization of separate craft unions (NO UNSKILLED WORKERS)—also not really a separate union but a collection of unions • All about practical goals (collective bargaining: allowing union to negotiate with management for everyone) • Charged union dues – allowed it to last a long time and survive because they could pay workers who were striking

9. Haymarket Square • Knights of Labor advocated nationwide strike in favor of 8 hour work day • Police fired on strikers in Chicago so there was a rally in support of the workers • At the rally, a bomb went off killing 7 • Caused hysteria – 4 people hanged and 8 more convicted on not much evidence • Caused downfall of Knights of Labor because they were blamed for riot

10. Homestead • Strike at Carnegie Steel Mill • Management closed plant so workers actually did a sit in • Scabs hired to break strike

11. Pullman • Depression caused a decline in use of Pullman sleeping cars – company had wage cuts but didn’t cut rent in company town • American Railroad union went on strike • Court issued an injunction (court order) to stop the strike

12. Wobblies • Also knows as the Industrial Workers of the World • Formed because they believe AFL was against the lower class • Was the most radical union--socialists • Another union all about workers rights and making the government change laws to help workers

13. Why did most Unions fail?(AFL succeeded) • Government didn’t want to get involved at the time and did not side with workers or unions • Some laws (Sherman Anti Trust Act) which were meant to protect against monopolies actually used against unions. • People afraid of socialists and communists because of fear of Russia (racism).