II. The Second Industrial Revolution

1860–1920

Topic 5: The Rise of Unions

Workers Organize

ObjectiveWrite:Explain the major social and economic effects of industrialization and the influence of the growth of organized labor following Reconstruction in the United States.

Read:The rise of industrialization led to a rapidly expanding workforce. Labor organizations grew amidst unregulated working conditions and violence toward supporters of organized labor.

Because of the rise of industrialization, what need

did companies have?

Find the answer:The rise of industrialization in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries increased the demand (need) for workers.

With this demand, immigrants came from other countries and Americans migrated from other parts of the United States to take jobs in industrial centers.

Write:It is a part of capitalism/market economyIt calls for the complete non-involvement of government in the economy. The approach is one of “hands-off”, in which prices, quality and competitive practices are solely determined by competition.

Read:This approach was advocated by the English economist Adam Smith in his work The Wealth of Nations and followed by the US government up until the late 1800’s, early 1900’s

Define: Laissez-Faire

What type of demands did workers make concerning

work issues? Write: Some members of the working class formed labor organizations (e.g., American Railway Union, American Federation of Labor, Industrial Workers of the World, United Mine Workers of America) to protect their rights.

Write:Workers sought to address issues such as working conditions, wages and terms of employment.

Write: The government had little concern for workers.

What was the laissez-faire climate concerning the government in the late 1800s?

Note the sword is titled “legislation”Write:

Because of a

laissez-faire

climate

Why did workers organize

?

How did the lack of government regulation affect the working conditions of the laborers?

Write: Laissez-faire resulted in business being allowed to have unsafe, unsanitary, working conditions. Businesses could pay their workers as little as they wanted. This resulted in many abuses being committed against workers.

What was the response of workersConcerning Laissez-faire?

Write: Because the U.S. government allowed such conditions to develop, it later led to the growth of labor unions to correct abuses against workers

The lack of government regulation affected the working conditions of the laborers.

Laissez-faire

ClimateLaissez-faire climate of the

late 1800s, the government had little concern for welfare of

workers

Many industrial workers were scraping by on less

than $500 per year.

Because of corporations political influence on

government, the government grew uneasy

about the power of corporations.

The rich were VERY rich!!!!1890 an estimated 10% of the population held 75% of

the nation’s wealth creating a HUGE inequality

between the classes.

1890 Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust Act. It

made it illegal to form trusts that interfered with

free trade.The act wasn’t very powerful because the

government only prosecuted a few

companies, but it was a first move away from the government’s policy of

laissez-faire.

Cartoon Explanation: Monopoly the ship on the right, blasts Competition the sinking ship. Uncle Sam, far left, readies to fire a tiny cannon from Fort Legislation.

What does the cartoon imply concerning the effectiveness of

the Sherman Antitrust Act?Write: The act was ineffective because the government prosecuted only a few companies.

Write: Workers had low wages; long hours; unsafe working conditions; no benefits

What conditions prompted workers to organize in the late 1800s?

Write:During industrialization, the U.S. government took a laissez-faire approach to business; the government allowed the market to regulate itself without much government interference. Many businesses allowed unsafe working practices in order to achieve higher profits.

OGT Review:

Write:As a result of unsafe working conditions, low wages and long working hours, labor unions formed to fight for federal regulation of working conditions

Write:Many industry owners felt threatened by the growth of unions in the late 1800’s. They rightly feared that union growth could force them into conceding higher wages, improved conditions and shorter work hours. In the late 1800’s they were successful in suppressing strong union growth.

Did industry owners want unions to organize? Why or why not?

Unions kept on organizing.

In 1886 a group of workers led by Samuel Gompers formed the American Federation of Labor (AFL).

The AFL won wage increases and shorter workweeks.

What was the response to factory owners’ fight against unions?

OGT Review: union demands

Write:Industrialization changed the way people worked in United States: Workers organized unions to collectively bargain for various rights within the workplace, such as: regulated pay and hours, and improved sanitary and safety conditions.

Write:eight hour work day; end of child labor; equal pay for equal work

What were the goals of the Knights of Labor Union?

Workers Organize:

The American Workforce

Many factory workers were European immigrants

Others were rural Americans who left the

farm because farm machines replaced them

Workers often worked 12-16 hours a day, worked 6

days a week.

African-Americans generally held lower

paying jobs as laborers or household help

The workplace was unhealthy, poor sanitation, unsafe working conditions,

etc.

No paid vacation, no paid holidays, no sick leave

WorkersWorking Conditio

ns

May industrial workers were children. By 1900

about 1 in 6 children ages 10-15 held a job outside

the home.

No compensation for work injuries, which were

common

Workers Organize:

Workers protest against cut in wages

1877 The Great Railroad Strike:

The fi rst major rail strike

Workers from two railroad companies blocked the

movement of trainsThe strike spread to other

Railroad companies stopping most freight traffic for over a

weekViolent clashes between workers

and militia led to numerous deaths

Mob violence in Pittsburgh caused millions of dollars in

damage

The Army was dispatched to end the strike

Why did labor organizations (unions) grow in spite of the violence

against them?

Write:Unions grew because workers responded to the violence against supporters of organized labor (e.g., Great Railroad Strike, Haymarket Riot, Homestead Strike, Pullman Strike).

Write:Someone threw a bomb, and people panicked; 11 people dead; more than 100 injured.

What was the Haymarket Riot ?Who were blamed for it?

Write:People immediately blamed foreign-born unionists for the violence.

1. The American workforce

e.) The Haymarket Riot

Selected Events in Labor History

Based on this time line, what was one way workers responded to their working conditions between 1869 and 1902?Write:Based on this time line, what was one way workers responded to their working conditions between 1869 and 1902?