chapter 14 section3
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Chapter 14 Section3. Labor in the American Economy. The Growth of Wage Labor. Early Americans-farmers Produced for themselves Owned their main resource-land Other Americans –skilled craftspeople Worked for themselves or others Owned their own capital-tools (blacksmiths, shoemakers, etc.). - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
CHAPTER 14 SECTION3
Labor in the American Economy
The Growth of Wage Labor
Early Americans-farmers
Produced for themselves Owned their main
resource-land Other Americans –
skilled craftspeople Worked for
themselves or others Owned their own
capital-tools (blacksmiths,
shoemakers, etc.)
Industrialization creates change….
1800’s many changes in industry/farming
Machinery more efficient-few workers needed
Machines produce better goods – cheaply and faster
Farmhands, craftsmen, immigrants began to earn wages for their work Worked in mines, factories, workshops Did not own capital-tools for their trade Exchanged labor for wages
Working Conditions
People had to work or starve
Terrible working conditions in factories, mines, etc. Unsafe No work, no pay Easily fired Long hours (12-16
hour days) Child labor common
The Rise of Labor Unions
Only way for workers to get better working conditions was to fight for them
Labor unions form Workers
organize to get: Better pay Safer work place protection
continued………………..
First unions formed- 1790’s Industrial Revolution
Many new workers to factories Conditions made it necessary to form
unions
1880’s most unions organized as trade unions Members with same skill (carpentry, etc.) Considered skilled workers-had some
knowledge of trade
The Noble Order of the Knights of Labor
First important national union
Worked to bring working class (skilled and unskilled together)
Workers could not agree on issues
Union disbanded
American Federation of Labor (AFL)
AFL – formed after NOKL United smaller trade unions (only skilled
workers) Become very powerful nationally Forced employers into collective
bargaining
Conflict great among workers and employers unions demand eight-hour day and
higher wages Owners disagreed (wanted to protect
their rights as entrepreneurs in the free market economy)
Weapons of labor and business
Labor• Slowdowns• Sit-down strikes• Boycotts• Strikes
• Hundreds of strikes between 1886-1920-most in textile, steel and railroad industries
Business• Strikebreakers
called “scabs”• Private police to
keep the peace• Violence
commonplace at meetings
• Lockouts• Blacklists
established with unions members’ names
Who gains…..who looses
Results of both management and labor “weapons” Economic Interruption of
production and profits
Workers go back to work -have to feed families (discouraged from striking)
Department of Labor
President William Howard Taft signed the March 4, 1913, bill establishing the Department of Labor as a Cabinet-level Department.
Established to protect workers rights
Labor and unions still had problems
Labor Unions since 1930
1930’s government recognized the rights of unions to exist and strike
National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act) passed by congress in 1935 Employers required to bargain with
workers Outlawed employers “weakening” unions
No company formed unions Could not fire employees over union
activities
Taft-Hartley Act of 1947Landrum –Griffin Act of
1959*****************************Put limits on the powers of unions and union leaders
AFL-CIO Combine Forces
Industrial unions joined CIO (Committee of Industrial Organization)-1935; kicked out of AFL in
1938 Both were rivals, but
joined together in 1955 to form the AFL-CIO
Today, in U.S. has 13 million members
Accomplishments and Common Interests
Unions won better wages for workers Negotiate with government on certain
policies Helped to get laws passed to protect
worker’s safety, ban child labor, retraining of unemployed workers
Unions still strike and boycott today However, unions and employers work
together for sensible solutions Owners- happy workers produce more
goods and services
The Labor Force Today
“Make-up” of today’s workforce is vastly different today – compared to 1700’s America
Moved from a farming country to one of service and industry
Women play a greater role in the workforce
Many manufacturing/industrial jobs had decreased, but service industry jobs have increased Caused some problems for workers Economic, person, retraining, etc.
Early Labor Movements
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ5ZwOaBI24&feature=related
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