16. 2 Labor Strives to Organize

A. The New Working Class- late 19th century

-Demand= labor soars (factories, laborers, transport, sellers, plantations, etc)-Who?

1. 1/3- foreign born immigrants

2. African American men- South- no opportunityNorth- more opportunityAll over- service, dirty, dangerous jobs, low paying, gardener,

cook, driver, textile factory, lumber, coal, iron, tobacco, etc.

3. Woman- immigrant and native born- By 1900- 15% of work force are women

4. Children- 1800’s- child labor doubles, 20% of American Children 10-15 worked- South- ¼ textile mill workers was a child- North- 1/20 textile mill workers was a child, the north was

wealthier and could pay more

B. Working Conditions1. Long hours- average 12 hour day-up to 16, sunup to sun down, no exceptions, meals eaten at work

2. Low wages- esp. unskilled workers- African Am’s, Asian Am’s, Mexican Am’s- lowest

3. 6 days a week

4. Dangerous- no safety check, became worse with fatigue/exhaustion

5. Company town- all owned by businessScrip- workers were paid in company paper $= used

to buy goods at company store.Company has a monopoly= high prices for all

C. The Knights of Labor- Union-Organized to fight against bad working conditions

1. Represent ALL- strikes demonstrations, marches, protests, power in numbers

2. Strikes- not new but workers unions were expanding

1.Unskilled and skilled2.African Americans (60,000)3.Women4.European immigrants

3. DrawbacksA.Chinese still excludedB.Many were not hired in fear that the large #’s would

strikeC.No end to child labor

D. The Great Upheaval- 1886- the year of intense confrontation between unions and companies which led to violence

A. Workers ready themselves for “battle”, coming out of Economic Depression which led to massive wage cuts

B. 1500 strikes; 400,000 workers

C. Violence occurs while negotiating (employers, employees, police)Ex) Haymarket Riot- police and strikers fight70 wounded and 7 police dead, 1 civilian dead

D. Employers decrease strikes: SHARING-Black lists- list the main supporters/strikers= hard for them to get a job-Lockouts- bar workers from the plant-Yellow dog contracts- promise not to join the union-Strike breakers- those who were not accepted in the unions

***violence slowed the unions cause—unskilled workers

-Skilled workers formed their own unionAmerican Federation of Labor (AFL)- committed to a non-violent advancement for their cause

E. The Holmstead and Pullman Strikes1. Homestead in Pittsburgh, PA- strikers killed by the state militia who then said “now order is restored”

2. Pullman strike- Chicago- company town- Government uses force on the strikers and

sides with the business not the workers.- The railroad sides with the workers- American

Railway Union