THE WAGE SYSTEMTHE WAGE SYSTEM
• Change in employer-employee Change in employer-employee relationsrelations
• Managers who set pace, payManagers who set pace, pay• New machines New machines • Immigrant laborImmigrant labor• Terrible working conditionsTerrible working conditions
The Changing American
Labor Force
The Changing American
Labor Force
Child LaborChild Labor
Child LaborChild Labor
“Galley Labor”“Galley Labor”
Labor Unrest: 1870-1900
Labor Unrest: 1870-1900
The Molly Maguires(1875)
The Molly Maguires(1875)
JamesJamesMcParlandMcParland secret Irish labor movement in PA coal fields
The Corporate “Bully-Boys”:
PinkertonAgents
The Corporate “Bully-Boys”:
PinkertonAgents
Management vs. Labor
Management vs. Labor
““Tools” of Tools” of ManagementManagement
““Tools” of Tools” of LaborLabor
““scabs”scabs”
P. R. campaignP. R. campaign
PinkertonsPinkertons
lockoutlockout
blacklistingblacklisting
yellow-dog yellow-dog contractscontracts
court injunctionscourt injunctions
open shopopen shop
boycottsboycotts
sympathy sympathy demonstrationsdemonstrations
informational informational picketingpicketing
closed shopsclosed shops
organized organized strikesstrikes
““wildcat” strikeswildcat” strikes
A Striker Confronts a SCAB!
A Striker Confronts a SCAB!
Knights of LaborKnights of Labor
Terence V. PowderlyTerence V. Powderly
An injury to one is the concern of An injury to one is the concern of all!all!
Knights of LaborKnights of Labor
Knights of Labor trade cardKnights of Labor trade card
Goals of the Knights of Labor
Goals of the Knights of Laborù Eight-hour workdayEight-hour workday
ù Workers’ cooperativesWorkers’ cooperatives
ù Worker-owned factoriesWorker-owned factories
ù Abolition of child and prison laborAbolition of child and prison labor
ù Increased circulation of greenbacksIncreased circulation of greenbacks
ù Equal pay for men and womenEqual pay for men and women
ù Safety codes in the workplaceSafety codes in the workplace
ù Prohibition of contract foreign laborProhibition of contract foreign labor
ù Abolition of the National BankAbolition of the National Bank
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877
The Tournament of Today:
A Set-to Between Labor and Monopoly
The Tournament of Today:
A Set-to Between Labor and Monopoly
Haymarket Riot (1886)
Haymarket Riot (1886)
McCormick Harvesting Machine Co.McCormick Harvesting Machine Co.
Haymarket MartyrsHaymarket Martyrs
--Four of the anarchists arrested were hung
--K of L crushed after this
Governor John Peter Altgeld
Governor John Peter Altgeld
The American Federation
of Labor: 1886
The American Federation
of Labor: 1886
Samuel GompersSamuel Gompers
How the AF of L Would Help the
Workers
How the AF of L Would Help the
Workersù Catered to the skilled workerCatered to the skilled worker
ù Represented workers in matters of Represented workers in matters of national legislationnational legislation
ù Maintained a national strike fundMaintained a national strike fund
ù Evangelized the cause of unionismEvangelized the cause of unionism
ù Prevented disputes among the many Prevented disputes among the many craft unionscraft unions
ù Mediated disputes between Mediated disputes between management and labormanagement and labor
ù Pushed for Pushed for closed shopsclosed shops
Homestead Steel Strike
(1892)
Homestead Steel Strike
(1892)
The Amalgamated The Amalgamated Association of Association of
Iron & Steel WorkersIron & Steel Workers
Homestead Steel Homestead Steel WorksWorks
Big Corporate Profits!Big Corporate Profits!
A “Compan
yTown”:
Pullman, IL
A “Compan
yTown”:
Pullman, IL
Pullman CarsPullman Cars
A Pullman A Pullman porterporter
The Pullman Strike of 1894
The Pullman Strike of 1894
President Grover Cleveland
President Grover Cleveland
If it takes the entire army and navy to If it takes the entire army and navy to deliver a postal card in Chicago, that card deliver a postal card in Chicago, that card
will be delivered!will be delivered!
The Pullman Strike of 1894
The Pullman Strike of 1894
Government by injunction!Government by injunction!
The SocialistsThe Socialists
Eugene V. DebsEugene V. Debs
International Workers of the World (“Wobblies”)
International Workers of the World (“Wobblies”)
“Big Bill” Haywood of the
IWW
“Big Bill” Haywood of the
IWW
Violence was justified to Violence was justified to overthrow capitalism.overthrow capitalism.
I W W & the InternationaleI W W & the
Internationale
The Hand That Will Rule the World One
Big Union
The Hand That Will Rule the World One
Big Union
Mother Jones: “The Miner’s Angel”
Mother Jones: “The Miner’s Angel”
Mary Harris.Mary Harris.
Organizer for theOrganizer for theUnited MineUnited MineWorkers.Workers.
Founded the Founded the SocialSocialDemocratic Party Democratic Party in 1898.in 1898.
One of the One of the founding founding members of the I. members of the I. W. W. in 1905.W. W. in 1905.
Lawrence, MA Strike: 1912
Lawrence, MA Strike: 1912
The “Bread & Roses” Strike
The “Bread & Roses” Strike
DEMANDS:DEMANDS:
ù 15¢/hr. wage increase.15¢/hr. wage increase.
ù Double pay for overtime.Double pay for overtime.
ù No discrimination against strikers.No discrimination against strikers.
ù An end to “speed-up” on the An end to “speed-up” on the assembly line.assembly line.
ù An end to discrimination againstAn end to discrimination againstforeign immigrant workers.foreign immigrant workers.
Lawrence, MA Strike: 1912
Lawrence, MA Strike: 1912
The “Formul
a”
The “Formul
a”
unions unions + violence + strikes + socialists + violence + strikes + socialists + immigrants immigrants = anarchistsanarchists
Labor Union MembershipLabor Union Membership
“Solidarity Forever!”by Ralph Chapin (1915)
“Solidarity Forever!”by Ralph Chapin (1915)
When the union's inspiration When the union's inspiration through the workers‘ blood shall run, through the workers‘ blood shall run,There can be no power greater There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun; anywhere beneath the sun;Yet what force on earth is weaker Yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one, than the feeble strength of one,But the union makes us strong! But the union makes us strong!
CHORUS:CHORUS:Solidarity forever,Solidarity forever,Solidarity forever,Solidarity forever,Solidarity forever,Solidarity forever,For the union For the union makes us strong! makes us strong!
Come On Come On and and
Sing Along!!Sing Along!!
Come On Come On and and
Sing Along!!Sing Along!!
“Solidarity Forever!”“Solidarity Forever!”Is there aught we hold in common with the greedy parasite,Who would lash us into serfdom and would crush us with his might?Is there anything left to us but to organize and fight?For the union makes us strong!
CHORUS:CHORUS:Solidarity forever,Solidarity forever,Solidarity forever,Solidarity forever,Solidarity forever,Solidarity forever,For the union For the union makes us strong! makes us strong!
“Solidarity Forever!”“Solidarity Forever!” * * * *
Through our sisters and our brothersThrough our sisters and our brothers we can make our union strong, we can make our union strong,For respect and equal value, For respect and equal value, we have done without too long. we have done without too long.We no longer have to tolerate We no longer have to tolerate injustices and wrongs, injustices and wrongs,Yes, the union makes us strong!Yes, the union makes us strong!
CHORUS:CHORUS:Solidarity forever,Solidarity forever,Solidarity forever,Solidarity forever,Solidarity forever,Solidarity forever,For the union For the union makes us strong! makes us strong!
Workers Benefits Today
Workers Benefits Today
The Rise & Decline of Organized Labor
The Rise & Decline of Organized Labor
Right-to-Work States Today
Right-to-Work States Today
Unionism & Globalization?
Unionism & Globalization?