Labor

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

Knights of Labor - 1868

Knights of Labor - 1868

Terence Terence PowderlyPowderly

““An injury to one is the An injury to one is the concern of all!”concern of all!”

Mother JonesMother Jones

Haymarket Riot (1886)

Haymarket Riot (1886)

McCormick Harvesting Machine Co.McCormick Harvesting Machine Co.

Caption:Justice hurling a bomb

Caption:Liberty is not Anarchy

The American Federation of Labor -1886

Sam Gompers

•Skilled Workers only

•Collective bargaining

•Used strikes as his major tactic.

•Successes: Higher wages, shorter workweeks for skilled workers

How the AFL Would Help the Workers

How the AFL Would Help the Workers

Skilled Workers OnlySkilled Workers Only

National Legislation.National Legislation.

Strike Fund.Strike Fund.

Prevented disputes among craft Prevented disputes among craft unions.unions.

Mediated disputes between Mediated disputes between management and labor.management and labor.

Pushed for closed shopsPushed for closed shops

A Striker Confronts a SCABA Striker Confronts a SCAB

The “Corporate Bully-Boys” Pinkerton AgentsThe “Corporate Bully-Boys” Pinkerton Agents

Homestead Steel Strike (1892) Crushed by Harrison

Homestead Steel Strike (1892) Crushed by Harrison

The Amalgamated The Amalgamated Association of Association of

Iron & Steel WorkersIron & Steel Workers

Carnegie’s Carnegie’s Homestead Steel Homestead Steel

Works outside Works outside PittsburghPittsburgh

President Grover Cleveland

President Grover ClevelandCrushes Pullman Crushes Pullman

Strike (1894)Strike (1894)

““If it takes the If it takes the entire army entire army and navy to and navy to deliver a deliver a postal card in postal card in Chicago, that Chicago, that card will be card will be delivered!”delivered!”

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 contractsyellow-dog contracts

court injunctionscourt injunctions

open shopopen shop

boycottsboycotts

sympathy sympathy demonstrationsdemonstrations

informational informational picketingpicketing

closed shopsclosed shops

organized organized strikesstrikes

““wildcat” strikeswildcat” strikes

Early Union Efforts are generally unsuccessful

• Owners did not allow union meetings• Made employees sign “yellow-dog

contracts” – no strikes• The Sherman Antitrust Act against labor –

said a strike, picket line, boycott would hurt interstate trade = federal troops

• 14th Amendment used to protect corporations.

• Blackballed union workers

Women in theLabor

Movement• Mother Jones – Mary Harris Jones• Led miners in strikes.• Exposes the cruelties of child labor – led 80 mill

children with deformities and injuries to President Roosevelt’s home.

• Influenced child labor laws.

• One of the founding members of the I. W. W. in 1905.

Labor Union MembershipLabor Union Membership