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The Hand That Will Rule the World One Big Union. The American Federation of Labor: 1886. Samuel Gompers. How the AFL Would Help the Workers. Catered to the skilled worker. Represented workers in matters of national legislation. Maintained a national strike fund.
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The Hand That Will Rule the World One Big Union
The American Federation of Labor: 1886 Samuel Gompers
How the AFL Would Help the Workers • Catered to the skilled worker. • Represented workers in matters of national legislation. • Maintained a national strike fund. • Evangelized the cause of unionism. • Prevented disputes among the many craft unions. • Mediated disputes between management and labor. • Pushed for closed shops.
THE GREAT RAILROAD STRIKE OF 1877 First nationwide labor protesting wage cuts Workers walked off their jobs and blocked tracks Spread to 80,000 workers in 11 states stopped working After President Rutherford Hayes sent federal troops to West Virginia to save the nation 100 people died and millions of dollars in property were lost A picture of burned railroad cars during the mass strike
Knights of Labor • First nationwide union • Wanted to organize ALL workers; skilled/ unskilled, women, children • Wanted to negotiate, then strike if needed • Arbitration: process where an impartial third party helps mediate between workers and management
Knights of Labor Terence V. Powderly An injury to one is the concern of all!
Goals of the Knights of Labor • Eight-hour workday. • Worker-owned factories. • Abolition of child and prison labor. • Equal pay for men and women. • Safety codes in the workplace. Knights of Labor trade card
Haymarket Riot (1896) • Nationwide strike called to show support for an 8 hour day • Police came - four strikers killed and several wounded. • Next day at a rally in Haymarket Square to protest the killing • During the rally the police break up the meeting - someone threw a bomb at police – 4 more workers & 7 police die. • In response the police spray the crowd with bullets and 10 more workers die with another 50 injured • One man arrested was a member of the Knights of Labor hurting the reputation of the organization Result: Anti-Labor feelings sweep the nation and membership in the Knights of Labor Union fall drastically!
Pullman Palace Car Company • Owner George Pullman hoped to prevent labor discontent, but he was not willing to grant high wages. • Pullman housed his workers in a company town where they lived in attractive company-owned houses, with indoor plumbing, gas, and sewers. • However, in a "company town” everything was owned by the corporation • The Pullman Company controlled every aspect of their lives, and practiced "debt slavery” • Money owed was automatically deducted from workers' paychecks and frequently workers would never see their earnings at all. • The workers children were responsible for the debt if the parents didn’t pay it off.
Pullman Strike (1894) • Wages were cut 25% • Cut wages without reducing the workers’ rent and other expenses • Pullman fired three negotiators • Strike was eventually broken up by 12,000 U.S Army troops • By the end of the strike 13 strikers were killed and 57 were wounded. An estimated $80 million worth of property was damaged
