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The American Labor Movement: The Formative Years (1869-1894)

Explore the key labor unions of the late 19th century, including the National Labor Union, Knights of Labor, American Federation of Labor, and Industrial Workers of the World.

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The American Labor Movement: The Formative Years (1869-1894)

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  1. The American Labor Movement:The Formative Years (1869-1894)

  2. National Labor Union • 1866-1872 • Was the first national labor federation in the United States. it paved the way for other organizations, such as the Knights of Labor and the AFL (American Federation of Labor). It was led by William H. Sylvis. • Sylvis took labor activity into the political arena.  • It brought together skilled and unskilled workers, as well as farmers. The National Labor Union stopped short of admitting African Americans.  • 8 hour work day • Higher wages • Immigration reform • Chinese immigrants William Sylvis worked in many trades in his life, from wagon making to canal boat building. Later, he became a pioneer in organizing and motivating labor unions.

  3. Knights of Labor • 1869-1890s • Members: skilled & unskilled workers including African Americans & women, membership peaked at 730,000 in 1886 • Goals: 8 hour work day, equal pay for equal work, and restrictions on child labor • Wanted an alternative to industrial capitalism by creating a cooperative society (basically an early view of socialism) • Leadership hesitant to strike because workers usually lost, but rank & file often acted anyway • Membership fell off after leaders compromised too much Terrence Powderly (Former Mayor of Scranton, PA)

  4. American Federation of Labor • 1886 to present • Membership limited to white, male, skilled workers (1 million by 1901, 2.5 million by 1917) • Generally worked w/ craft unions (rather than w/ all workers at a single job site) • Pragmatic & opportunistic, pressed for concrete goals: higher wages, shorter hours, right to bargain collectively • Accepted industrial capitalism & wanted to work w/in the system Samuel Gompers

  5. Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) • Founded 1905 by workers dissatisfied w/ AFL policies • Founders included “Big Bill Haywood, Eugene V. Debs • Organizes all workers: skilled & unskilled, immigrant & native, male & female, black or white • Aggressive tactics… not afraid to defy injunctions, break unjust laws, sometimes resorted to violence & sabotage • Socialist rhetoric of class conflict “An injury to one is an injury to all.”

  6. IWW Leaders “Mother” Mary Harris Jones “Big Bill” Haywood Elizabeth Gurly Flynn Eugene V. Debs

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