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Early 20 th Century U.S. Strikes

Early 20 th Century U.S. Strikes. Railway Strike (1877). The depression of the 1870s forced the American railroads into a cost-cutting mode. The workers for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad went on strike in 1877 after receiving a second pay cut within a short period of time. .

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Early 20 th Century U.S. Strikes

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  1. Early 20th Century U.S. Strikes

  2. Railway Strike (1877) • The depression of the 1870s forced the American railroads into a cost-cutting mode. • The workers for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad went on strike in 1877 after receiving a second pay cut within a short period of time.

  3. Railway Strike (1877) • Violence erupted; state militia units were brought in, but often proved to be ineffective because of their sympathy for the strikers. • Responding to a request from the governor of West Virginia, President Hayes dispatched federal forces to protect the railroad—the first use of such soldiers in a labor matter. The rationale for the show of strength was the government's need to protect the mails.

  4. Railway Strike (1877) • Massive intervention by the federal government sank the strikers' spirits and maintained those of management. The workers eventually gave up, but harbored ill feeling against Hayes for his action. • The strike of 1877 was most violent labor-management confrontation to that point in American history. It was the starting signal for an era of strife between workers and owners.

  5. Haymarket Riot (1886) • On May Day 1886, the workers at the McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. in Chicago began a strike in the hope of gaining a shorter work day. • On May 3, police were used to protect strikebreakers and a scuffle broke out; one person was killed and several others injured.

  6. Haymarket Riot (1886) • The following day, May 4, a large rally was planned by anarchist leaders to protest alleged police brutality. • The gathering was peaceful until a police official, in contravention of the mayor's instructions, sent units into the crowd to force it to disperse. At that juncture, a pipe bomb was thrown into the police ranks.

  7. Haymarket Riot (1886) • A period of panic and overreaction followed in Chicago. Hundreds of works were detained. • In the end, eight anarchists were put on trial and seven were convicted of conspiracy to commit murder. • The Haymarket Riot was a signal event in the early history of American labor. • It was largely responsible for delaying acceptance of the eight-hour day.

  8. Homestead Steel Strike (1892) • The Homestead Steel Works, located southeast of Pittsburgh, was an important segment of Andrew Carnegie's empire. • Management and labor had been locked in negotiations for several months when plant general manager Henry C. Frick announced wage cuts of nearly 20 percent. • The union balked at the reductions and Frick closed the plant on June 30.

  9. Homestead Steel Strike (1892) • On July 6, the displaced workers opened fire on a barge loaded with 300 Pinkerton agents who were being brought in as strikebreakers. A battle raged for several hours. • The workers initially thought they had won a great victory since the management forces had to withdraw. In fact, the Homestead strike was a total defeat for the workers and unionism as a whole.

  10. Homestead Steel Strike (1892) • The governor of Pennsylvania called out the state militia to enable management to regain control of the area. • Many strikers were blacklisted, which prevented them from regaining employment as steelworkers elsewhere.

  11. Pullman Strike (1895) • During the economic panic of 1893, the Pullman Palace Car Company cut wages as demands for their train cars plummeted and the company's revenue dropped. • The strike effectively shut down production in the Pullman factories and led to a lockout. Railroad workers across the nation refused to switch Pullman cars onto trains.

  12. Pullman Strike (1895) • On June 29, 1894, Eugene Debs hosted a peaceful gathering to obtain support for the strike from fellow railroad workers at Blue Island, Illinois. Afterward groups within the crowd became enraged and set fire to nearby buildings and derailed a locomotive. • Company owner George Pullman snootily declined to talk with them.

  13. Pullman Strike (1895) • The strike was broken up by United States Marshals and some 12,000 United States Army troops. • President Grover Cleveland sent the troops on the premise that the strike interfered with the delivery of U.S. Mail, ignored a federal injunction and represented a threat to public safety.

  14. History of Labor YouTube Clips • In a series of short clips, The History Channel takes a look at the origins of Labor Day, changing methods of manufacturing and legislative gains made by labor unions. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZkq7d4lyrw • The vast majority of these photographs are taken by Lewis Hine, who between 1908 and 1912 traveled around the United States photographing children as young as 3 years old working in mines, factories, fields and mills. These children often worked dangerous jobs for long hours and little pay. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDN3X-WORI4&feature=related

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