Haymarket Riots 1900-1914

Labor union were crucial in the late 1800’s when the workers were working long hours, doing hard work, without any extra pay. Job security (could be fired at any given time) and safety precautions did not exist in this era, jobs in this day was typically a threat to the workers due to the bad working conditions. When the union was formed in 1866 it was not easy, but if the workers understood how it would benefit them it would have been a greater successes. Due to lack of education, the communication between the union and the works was broken. Some of the religious beliefs created a hardship on getting the union passed. One of the unions called the AFL (American Federation of Labor) was created in 1881 that would try to fight for workers’ rights.

Labor unions have existed in one way or another since the birth of our country in 1776. They were created in an effort to protect the working population from abuses such as sweatshops and unsafe working conditions. From the start of our Nation there were a few unions organized unions in a scattered fashion, but many were disbanded after they had achieved their goals, such as when the printers and shoemakers briefly unionized in Philadelphia and New York City in 1778 to conduct the first recorded strike for higher wages. Three years later in 1971 the first successful strike happened, when Philadelphia carpenters campaigned for a ten-hour workday. This caused the need for skilled and unskilled laborers to skyrocket during the Industrial Revolution and the Civil War and also got the ball rolling with Labor unions. At this point in our Country, there had been nothing done yet for workers’ rights, conditions, pay, and so on. People at this time saw that they could come together and do something to make their lives better for themselves and their families. Many of these dates were important in shaping our country’s labor policies into what they are today. In 1847 New Hampshire enacts as the first state to enforce a 10-hour workday law. In 1909 the International Ladies’ Garment workers’ Union calls a strike in New York, demanding a 20-percent raise and a 52-hour workweek. Within two days, more than 20,000 workers from 500 factories walk off the job. This largely successful uprising

Unions were formed to protect and improve the rights of workers. Their first order of business was to establish the eight-hour workday and in 1866, the national labor union was formed. Labor movements were around before 1866, but few organized up until this point. Unions created an environment for workers with difficult tasks, creating better pay, safer work conditions, and sanitary work conditions. Unions made life better for many Americans in the private sector. Collective bargaining became the way in which employers and a group of employees reached agreements, coming to a common consensus. From 1866 to the early 1900’s Unions continued to make headways increasing membership and power. The real gains started in 1933 after several pieces of legislature, which saved banks, plantations, and farmers. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) proposed an important, and controversial, amendment to the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933. It insisted that language from the pro-labor Norris-LaGuardia Act of 1932 be added to the simple declaration of the right to collective bargaining. The setbacks the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) suffered in Little Steel and textiles in the latter half of 1937, and in Congress from 1938 to 1940, despite the gains made by the AFL, by 1940 the amendment had stalled. WWII created a rapid buildup within the industrial complex, creating more work for women and African Americans, overshadowing the union’s inability to project their power

Companies and Industries that were established can be known as the Gilded Age where they were blooming, but on the inside of the area of work was unsanitary, back-breaking and unattractive to the inferred perspective of the company. Labor Unions were created because the Industries were setting very unimaginable hours and poor wages which cannot support one's, family. Strikes soon became a habit during the 18th century in order to establish their right to have a more reasonable and humane working standards. Labor Unions are somewhat successful because although many of the strikes occurred and ended in a violent aftermath, generally resulted in a few major changes. Many companies that dismissed the need for strikes created oaths to prevent workers

The workers were not satisfied with the way that they were being treated, nor the amount they were getting paid. The main issues that reformers fought for were shorter work hours, a minimum wage, and prohibiting child labor. The working class went through many tough situations, that the Progressive Era gave these working class families to be heard and get more money to provide for their families. “In 1905, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) was founded” (pg.526). This was a group of people that organized unskilled workers to help them out and give them more opportunities. The IWW also “opposed capitalism and used strikes, boycotts, and industrial sabotage” (pg. 526). The IWW worked and protested so much, that the government raised the wages of the workers. The workers unions should be remembered during the Progressive Era, because that era was a time of social reforms. It was a time that workers had the opportunity to fight for their

Numerous workers were able to come together and make changes to improve wages, working conditions, and much more. The National Labor Union, Nights of Labor, and The American Federation of Labor all had certain similarities and differences that made them alike and different from each other. Some of them failed, while the other was successful due to being smart and learning from the mistakes of the other two.

In the United States history, the Gilded Age was the period in the late 19th century where the country experienced rapid economic growth. During this period, the U.S. became one of the leading industrial nations. It was able to build a powerful navy that dominated the world and acquired the enormous overseas empire. The Gilded Age was also a very important time in the labour history of the United States. It was a period of horrible labour violence between industrialists and workers who fought over various labour issues such as wages and control of the workplace. At this time, workers organised themselves to form the first and largest labour union of the time – the American Labour Union. Even after the workers formed this union, the employers were determined to end the union hence causing a lot of conflicts. One of the highlights of the labour struggles in the Gilded Age was the Pullman strike of 1893. This strike had dire consequences for both the workers and the employers. Many were killed, others injured and the leaders of the union imprisoned for contempt of court. This paper shall look into some of the reasons why the workers found it difficult to achieve economic and political power and how their activism was limited. Ultimately, the strict control by capitalists and government limited the workers ability to fight successfully for better terms of employment.

In the United States history, the Gilded Age was the period in the late 19th century where the country experienced rapid economic growth. During this period, the U.S. became one of the leading industrial nations. It was able to build a powerful navy that dominated the world and acquired the enormous overseas empire. The Gilded Age was also a very important time in the labour history of the United States. It was a period of horrible labour violence between industrialists and workers who fought over various labour issues such as wages and control of the workplace. At this time, workers organised themselves to form the first and largest labour union of the time – the American Labour Union. Even after the workers formed this union, the employers were determined to end the union hence causing a lot of conflicts. One of the highlights of the labour struggles in the Gilded Age was the Pullman strike of 1893. This strike had dire consequences for both the workers and the employers. Many were killed, others injured and the leaders of the union imprisoned for contempt of court. This paper shall look into some of the reasons why the workers found it difficult to achieve economic and political power and how their activism was limited. Ultimately, the strict control by capitalists and government limited the workers ability to fight successfully for better terms of employment.

The rise of the Big Business transformed rural America to an industrialized urban nation that became to be known as the Gilded Age. During this time most Americans worked 10 to 16 hour shifts, 6 days out of the week with a wage that was below the poverty line. Even though they worked extremely inhumane hour shifts, it was barely enough for them and their families to survive. During this era men, women, and children performed harsh labor in factories and mills until their bodies could bear no more. Throughout the age of the big business, children as young as 8 years old were put to work and were denied the chance to go to school, there was no benefits, no medical coverage, and if the workers became injured while on the job it was overlooked and was seen as if nothing had happened and were fired and replaced by someone else. Workers were being taken advantage of, but they realized something had to be done in order for change to occur, so they unionized. An important factor they acknowledged was that there were more workers than owners so unions were created. During this period of time unions were extremely needed in order to improve working conditions, protect workers, and fight for higher wages. Likewise, Unions were successful, because during this time the seed was planted toward unity and as of today we can appreciate safer working conditions, higher wages, and more opportunity.

In the period of 1870-1900, labor unions and organizations were rarely successful in achieving their goals primarily because of problems with being able to organize large numbers of American Workers. The rare victories for labor were isolated incidents because there were no labor organizations on a national or even state-wide basis. The problems with organization arose because of five major factors - differences in union leadership, divisions between skilled and unskilled workers, ethnic and racial tensions, and employer, and government and public hostility.

Apart of the Homestead Strike in 1892 there were labor unions formed and protesting before the strike occur. One example will be the Haymarket strike led by American Federation of Labor(AFL). The AFL were wanting similar goals as the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers. They both aimed for an eight hour work day and better wages for workers. On May 1,1886 they decided to protest against the businesses after failing to change the employees work hours. Unfortunately, the protest in Chicago ended violently when a bomb was thrown into the crowd and killed 7 officers and injured several. After this situation labor unions were view as rebels by the public. The american public wanted them to be punished for their actions therefore after

There were 3 significant strikes; the Great Railroad Strike 1877, Homestead Strike 1892, and the Pullman Strike 1894. Each one fighting an unfair inequality against the American citizens and workers. Railroad strike lasted 45 days, causing millions in lost property damage and lost revenue because there was an economic panic around the time to wages being cut. The Homestead strike had to have 300 Pinkerton Guards hired to remove them from Carnegie steal, they were holding a sit in protesting their 80hr work weeks, dangerous conditions, and wages. And last was the Pullman strike in which workers were protesting their wages being cut but still being forced to live in a company town in which the prices of food/housing remained the same. This turned into a nationwide strike and was considered the worst economic panic up to that point. While these companies were doing great things for the US, creating railroads to connect the east and west coast, and their own steel, there were still injustices hiding underneath all the money that the owners and government constantly overlooked.

Six states enacted the eight-hour workday, but four of them had exceptions to the rule, so the NLU was not as successful as it seemed on the surface.3 The NLU realized that the labor dispute could not be fixed without a reform of the currency, which led to an ill-fated alliance with the Greenback movement. In 1872 the NLU transformed itself into the National Labor Reform Party, which turned out to be unsuccessful.4 By 1873, there were twenty-five national unions with a combined membership of 170,000 people, and another 130,000 workers belonged to unions that lacked a national association.5 Even though the NLU failed to attain quality working conditions for workers, it was able to prove that a national confederation of workingmen was not impossible. Its short life showed that representatives for labor did not know the proper place of the worker in the new industrial world. The NLU made no effort to perfect itself as a lasting organization, but it's errors allowed successors to learn and profit.6 The formation of the NLU exemplifies the autonomy of the people because they realized that they were being treated unfairly and they went ahead and did something about it.

We struggled so much in America because as we gained our strength, workers showed greater willingness to strike. All at the same time, business owners were also stubbornly opposing our union demands, so as a result, the confrontations between unions and owners also greatly increased. Successes of our movements included fighting for better wages, reasonable working hours, and safer working conditions. Our labor union movements also led efforts to end child labor, and providing aid and health benefits to workers who were retired or injured.

However it seemed as though the opposite was the case. Workers generally laboured in poor and dangerous working conditions and only received salaries that were insufficient (Gale Encyclopaedia of U.S. Economic History, 2000). These conditions, coupled with the fact that de-skilling of low-wage industrial jobs, meant that these workers were easily replaceable by the many immigrants who were continually entering America in the same era (Hirshman & Mogford, 2009). Now according to Merton, the inability of the community of achieve their ends, in this case a decent livelihood, and the helplessness of their situation would be catalysts for social discord. A case in point, the cumulation of the eight hour day movement in 1886, where workers demanded eight hour work days for ten hour pay, greatly supported by labour unions (Commons et al., 2000), in the United States led to 1,411 strikes. This was more than twice the number in 1885 and around triple that of the previous five years (Report of the Commissioner of