Warm up

Sentence Correction

Journal: In “History Alive” textbook read pg. 180, section titled “Workers Unite for Better Conditions”. Question: What is a labor union? What were their goals? Where did a lot of a union’s power come from?

Unions

Labor unions = Group of workers organized to protect it’s members!

Generally, big business owners HATED unions. Tried to squash them!

Unions and Strikes!

History of Labor Day

http://www.history.com/videos/history-of-labor-day#history-of-labor-day

How did the Pullman Strike end?

Strikers refused to follow injunction and didn’t break up.

Debs and other union leaders were arrested.

Cleveland sent in 2,000 troops to end the strike. Fighting broke out

Strike was broken and many returned to work.

Pullman died in 1897 – he believed he was still a morally upright man.

Working Conditions

Long hours, long weeks.

Did NOT have vacation, sick leave, unemployment compensation or workers compensation.

Factories = dirty, poorly ventilated, poorly lit

Repetitive tasks done hour after hour after hour….after hour…

Some women and children had no choice but to work.

Child Labor

Size allowed them to move in small spaces.

Didn’t have to pay them as much.

Children easier to control.

Forced to forgo education.

http://www.history.com/videos/the-fight-to-end-child-labor#the-fight-to-end-child-labor

Labor Unions

National Labor Union (NLU) Consisted of 300 local unions in 13 states Persuaded congress to legalize an eight-hour

day for government workers William Sylvis (founder) encouraged unions to

open doors to African Americans and women.

Knights of Labor Focus on individual workers Open to all – any race, gender or degree of skill

Labor Unions con’t

American Railway Union (ARU) Eugene V. Debs. Includes skilled and

unskilled workers.

Socialism

Government controls business and property and equally distributes wealth.

Strikes!

The Great Strike of 1877 – Protesting second wage cut

The Haymarket affair

The Homestead Strike

The Pullman Strike

All were very violent!!

Government Pressure

Employers recruited the government to put down strikes.

Court rulings stated if a strike, picket line or boycott would hurt interstate trade, the state or government would issue and injunction or court order. Basically making all of

that illegal