Labor Unions: United We Stand
Essential Question
- How did workers respond to the rapidly changing conditions of the 2nd industrial revolution
Working Conditions: General Info.
- Unsafe working conditions
- Low pay - ( 3 - 12 $ a week )
- Long Hours ( 16 )
- No sick, vacation workman’s comp.
- Injuries common
- 1882: 675 died weekly
- Injuries common
- 1890-1917: 200,000+ workers killed, 2 mil. injured
Labor Unions
- An organization of workers formed to protect the rights of workers ( better pay and conditions )
Union Strategies
- _Collective Bargaining: _Union & Business leaders meet to negotiate terms & working conditions
- Arbitration: An unbiased 3rd party resolves the conflict with rule of law
- _Strike: _Stoppage of work
- Ex: Sit downs, slow downs, shut downs…
- **Closed shop: “Union friendly” - must join the union to get a job **
Labor Unions
| Union | Year | Important People | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Labor Union | 1866 | William H Sylvis | First large scale national labor union; some local chapters refused African Americans; 1868 got congress to legalize eight hour day for government workers |
| Colored National Labor Union | 1869 | Isaac Meyers | Emphasized cooperation between management and labor; political reform important; disbanded b/c of Knights of Labor |
| Knights of labor | 1869 | Uriah Stephens | Open to all workers, regardless of race, gender or degree of skill; equal pay and 8 hour work day; believed strikes should be the last resort and advocated for arbitration |
| American Federation of Labor | 1886 | Samuel Gompers | Skilled workers; Focused on collective bargaining used strikes as a major tactic; won higher wages and shorter workweeks |
| American Railway Union | 1894 | Eugene V Debs | Specific to the railroad industry and included skilled and unskilled laborers; won higher wages by striking |
| Industrial Workers of the World | 1905 | Eugene V Debs | Radical Socialist labor union that wanted government control of business and property and equal distributions of wealth; included miners, lumberers, cannery and dock workers. Included african american workers. |
Push Back Against Labor Unions
Actions business owners took to prevent unions in their company.
- Yellow Dog Contracts: Wrkers sign contract promising they would not join a labor union
- _Blacklist (Blackball): _Place worker on “Do Not Hire” list…
- Hire Scabs: Non-Union workers who work during strikes.