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Industrialization

Industrialization. Labor Reactions. The Development of Labor Unions. Why did labor Unions form during this era? Long Hours 6-7 day workweeks 12+ hour workdays Low Wages In sweatshops 27 cents for a child’s 14-hour day 1899 – women earned an average of $267 a year; men $498 Danger

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Industrialization

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  1. Industrialization Labor Reactions

  2. The Development of Labor Unions • Why did labor Unions form during this era? • Long Hours • 6-7 day workweeks • 12+ hour workdays • Low Wages • In sweatshops • 27 cents for a child’s 14-hour day • 1899 – women earned an average of $267 a year; men $498 • Danger • Injuries = common • 1882 – an average of 675 laborers were killed in work-related accidents each week • Lack of worker benefits • No vacation, sick leave, unemployment compensation and injury reimbursement • Child Labor • 1890-1910 – 20% of boys & 10% of girls under 15 held full time jobs

  3. Early Labor Organizing • National Labor Union (NLU) • 1st large scale national organization of laborers • Formed – 1866 • Membership ~ 640,000 • Big accomplishment – helping legalize the 8 hour work day for gov’t workers • Knights of Labor • Motto – “ An injury to one is the concern of all” • Membership open to all • ~ 700,000 • Supported an 8 hour workday and “equal pay for equal work” • Strikes were a last resort • Instead advocated arbitration

  4. Knights of Labor Department of Labor

  5. Labor Unions Diversify • Craft Unionism • Included skilled workers form one or more trades • Industrial Unionism • Included both skilled and unskilled workers in a specific industry • Labor Unions in the West • Small unions • Increased the strength of the labor mov’t / the tension between labor and management

  6. Labor Relations Turned Violent: Strikes • Industry and gov’t responded forcefully to union activity • Saw it as a threat to capitalism • Various strikes turned violent • The Great Strike of 1877 • Strikers protesting wage cuts at B&O Railroad • Federal troops ended it • The Haymarket Affair • Strikers protesting police brutality • Bomb was tossed into a line of police • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OQxncb2ihQ • Homestead Strike • Steelworkers strike against cut wages • Broken up by the National Guard • Pullman Company Strike • Strikers protesting lay offs, wage cuts and high rent • Broke up by federal troops

  7. Management & Government Reactions to Unions • The more powerful unions became, the more employers came to fear them • Ways that management tried to undue labor progress • Not “officially” recognizing unions • Forbidding union meetings • Firing union members • Turning the Sherman Antitrust Act against labor • By claiming that strikes, boycotts, etc. would hurt interstate trade • Despite setbacks, workers still viewed unions as powerful tool

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