American History

Labor Gets Organized

Unit 6.2

Social Darwinism

• The theory that people are subject to the same laws of Darwin's Natural Selection, specifically, the survival of the fittest.
• The poor are poor because they are not as fit to survive and prosper
• Used as an argument against social reforms to help the poor
• Used to justify the ruthless tactics used by Robber Barons to suppress workers’ rights
• Used as an argument for Imperialism

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Plight of Workers

• As the Robber Barons grew richer, their workers suffered.
• Low wages
• 12+ hour days, 6-7 days/week
• No vacation, sick leave, unemployment compensation, or workers compensation for injuries
• Repetitive, mind-numbing tasks
• Increase in child labor
• Unskilled laborers worked in sweatshops in tenements that were not regulated by US labor laws
• TERRIBLE CONDITIONS
• 1900- average 59 hrs. Week 22 cents hr =$7.75 today

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Different Types of Labor Activism

Trade/Craft Unionism

• Included skilled workers from more than one industry (all with similar skills, ex: carpentry, painting, engineering, etc)

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• Ex: Samuel Gompers president of American Federation of Labor (AFL) used collective bargaining (negotiations) and strikes to raise wages for skilled workers.

Industrial Unionism

• Included skilled and unskilled workers in the same industry

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• Ex: Eugene V. Debs’ American Railway Union (ARU) included unskilled workers to skilled engineers, used strikes to raise wages.

Early Labor Organizing

• 1866-74 – National Labor Union (NLU)
• 1^st national labor union
• Persuaded Congress to legalize an 8 hour workday
• Colored National Labor Union (CNLU) formed in response to NLU’s refusal to accept black members

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• 1869-86 Knights of Labor
• 1st nationwide Industrial Union
• Led by Terrence Powederly
• “An injury to one is the concern of all.”
• Open to all industries, races, sexes, skill level
• Advocated for equal pay for the sexes, shorter work day, arbitration,
• 8 hour day
• Haymarket Riot end Union

American Federation of Labor AFL

• Established in 1886 when 32 national trade unions joined
• Led by Samuel Gompers
• More conservatrive- skilled white men only
• Goals:
• Get companies to recognize unions and bargain collectively
• Closed shop-only hire union members
• 8 hour day

Opposition to Unions

Owners generally opposed unions

Tactics to stop:

1. Yellow Dog Contract
2. Hiring Detectives (Snitches)
3. Blacklists
4. Lockouts
5. Hiring Strikebreakers (Scabs)

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Political and Social Opposition

• There were no laws giving workers the right to form unions
• Courts ruled against strikes and issued Injunctions
• Police, National Guard, mercenary armies (Pinkertons), and US Army used to crush strikes
• Public often associated unions with Immigration (Nativism/Xenophobia) and “Radical Ideas”- Marxism/Communism

Strikes Turn Violent

• Great RR Strike of 1877
• 1st nationwide strike- 11 states, ⅔ railways
• POTUS Hayes sent army to end the strike
• 12 days, more 100 dead

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• Haymarket Riot (1886)
• Police killed a striker → people gathered in Haymarket Square in Chicago to protest
• Police charge-bomb thrown at police line → police opened fire on crowd and themselves
• At least 12 people killed (7 police) over 100 injured
• 8 people convicted- (4 hung, 1 committed suicide, 3 pardoned)
• Ended Knights of Labor and 8 hour day movement
• Public opinion turned against labor activism

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Strikes Turn Violent

• Homestead Strike (1892)
• Carnegie Steel Company in PA
• Protesting wage cuts- workers locked out- Pinkertons brought in scabs
• Several strikers and guards killed
• Strike collapsed after 4 months- broke largest trade union in US
• Pullman Strike (1894)
• Panic of 1893- Wages cut 25% but didn’t lower cost of rent- Company Town
• ARU led by Debs went on strike- 27 states 250,000 workers- hurt economy and mail delivery
• POTUS Cleveland sent fed troops to run trains
• Court issued 1st injunction- Debs jailed violate
• Upheld by SC In re Debs- Wagner Act overturn

Labor Activism in the West

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• 1905 - Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)
• Founded by Debs and William Haywood
• AKA the “Wobblies” – all races, skill levels
• Foundations in socialism – government control of some means production and equal distribution of wealth-appealing to poor and overworked laborers
• Eugene Debs would run for POTUS 5 times with the Socialist party.
• Ludlow Massacre Howard Zinn Woody Guthrie

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Women Organize

• Many women participated in labor activism, but were banned from unions.

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• Mary Harris Jones
• AKA Mother Jones
• Organized the United Mine Workers of America
• Faced jail and death threats
• Led 80 children with labor related injuries on a march on DC → persuaded Congress to pass child labor laws

Women Organize

• 1909 - International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union
• Advocated for better working conditions in garment factories
• 1911 – Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
• NYC, doors locked to prevent theft, no sprinkler system, fire escape broken
• 146 women died
• Jury acquitted factory managers of manslaughter → public outraged → NY set up task force to investigate working conditions
• Frances Perkins, later Secretary of Labor with New Deal witnessed the fire

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Unions Today

• AFL –CIO is the largest union organization today with 11 million affiliated workers
• The SEIU is the largest single union with 1.8 million workers
• In total union membership in the US is 14.7 million representing about 12% of US workforce
• Union membership peaked in 1940s with over 33% of workers in unions
• 36% of public employees and 7% of private employees are unionized
• New York has the highest percent of unionized workers 24%, North Carolina has the lowest percent 3%