The Labor Movement

The Changing American Labor Force

The Changing American Labor Force

Working Conditions

• 10+ hours days

• Few “means of egress”

• No compensation for illness

• Occupational hazards– Mine collapses– Industrial Accidents

Child LaborChild Labor

Child LaborChild Labor

“Galley Labor”“Galley Labor”

• Worker/Owner relationship

• Paternalistic Impersonal

• Principles of Scientific Management

Labor Unrest: 1870-1900Labor Unrest: 1870-1900

The Molly Maguires(1875)

The Molly Maguires(1875)

JamesJamesMcParlandMcParland

The Corporate “Bully-Boys”: Pinkerton

Agents

The Corporate “Bully-Boys”: Pinkerton

Agents

Management vs. LaborManagement 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 ScabA 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 workday.Eight-hour workday.

ù Workers’ cooperatives.Workers’ cooperatives.

ù Worker-owned factories.Worker-owned factories.

ù Abolition of child and prison labor.Abolition of child and prison labor.

ù Increased circulation of greenbacks.Increased circulation of greenbacks.

ù Equal pay for men and women.Equal pay for men and women.

ù Safety codes in the workplace.Safety codes in the workplace.

ù Prohibition of contract foreign labor.Prohibition of contract foreign labor.

ù Abolition of the National Bank.Abolition 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

Anarchists Meet on the Lake Front in 1886

Anarchists Meet on the Lake Front in 1886

• Anarchy– Belief that all forms of government are

harmful– Supreme belief in common sense

Haymarket Riot (1886)Haymarket Riot (1886)

McCormick Harvesting Machine Co.McCormick Harvesting Machine Co.

Haymarket MartyrsHaymarket Martyrs

Governor John Peter AltgeldGovernor 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 Workers

ù Catered to the skilled worker.Catered to the skilled worker.

ù Represented workers in matters of Represented workers in matters of national legislation.national legislation.

ù Maintained a national strike fund.Maintained a national strike fund.

ù Evangelized the cause of unionism.Evangelized the cause of unionism.

ù Prevented disputes among the many Prevented disputes among the many craft unions.craft unions.

ù Mediated disputes between Mediated disputes between management and labor.management 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!

The SocialistsThe Socialists

Eugene V. DebsEugene V. Debs

The Hand That Will Rule the World One Big Union

The Hand That Will Rule the World One Big Union

The Rise & Decline of Organized Labor

The Rise & Decline of Organized Labor

Right-to-Work States TodayRight-to-Work States Today