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The Growth of the American Labor Movement

The Growth of the American Labor Movement. The Changing American Labor Force. Picture: Workers vs Owner. WORKER VS EMPLOYER.

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The Growth of the American Labor Movement

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  1. The Growth of the American Labor Movement

  2. The Changing American Labor Force

  3. Picture: Workers vs Owner WORKER VS EMPLOYER “The old familiar relations between employer and employee were passing. A few generations before, the boss had known every man in his shop. He called his men by their first names, asked about the family and swapped jokes and stories with them. Today, you have large factories, the personal touch is gone!” Theodore Roosevelt “IMPERSONALIZATION”

  4. INDUSTRALIZATION • Poor working conditions • Unfriendliness/impersonalization • Immigrants taking jobs • Decrease work day • Machines replacing workers • Child labor • Job security Picture: Workers vs Owner

  5. TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS The wealthy would manifest itself in an elite class of Americans who lived extravagant lifestyles. Many common people resented their snobbish attitudes and wealth. In some respects, there was a caste system in the U.S.

  6. Immigration

  7. Working Conditions

  8. Child Labor

  9. Labor Unrest: 1870-1900

  10. The Molly Maguires(1875) JamesMcParland

  11. The Corporate “Bully-Boys”: PinkertonAgents

  12. Management vs. Labor “Tools” of Management “Tools” of Labor • “scabs” • P. R. campaign • Pinkertons • lockout • blacklisting • yellow-dog contracts • court injunctions • open shop • boycotts • sympathy demonstrations • informational picketing • closed shops • organized strikes • “wildcat” strikes

  13. Knights of Labor Terence V. Powderly An injury to one is the concern of all!

  14. Goals of the Knights of Labor • Eight-hour workday. • Workers’ cooperatives. • Worker-owned factories. • Abolition of child and prison labor. • Increased circulation of greenbacks. • Equal pay for men and women. • Safety codes in the workplace. • Prohibition of contract foreign labor. • Abolition of the National Bank.

  15. The Great Railroad Strike of 1877

  16. The Great Railroad Strike of 1877

  17. Haymarket Riot (1886) McCormick Harvesting Machine Co.

  18. Haymarket Martyrs

  19. Governor John Peter Altgeld

  20. The American Federation of Labor: 1886 Samuel Gompers

  21. How the AF of L 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.

  22. Homestead Steel Strike (1892) Homestead Steel Works The Amalgamated Association of Iron & Steel Workers

  23. Big Corporate Profits!

  24. Attempted Assassination! Henry Clay Frick Alexander Berkman

  25. A “CompanyTown”: Pullman, IL

  26. Pullman Cars A Pullman porter

  27. The Pullman Strike of 1894

  28. Eugene Debs: American Railway Union

  29. President Grover Cleveland If it takes the entire army and navy to deliver a postal card in Chicago, that card will be delivered!

  30. The Pullman Strike of 1894 Government by injunction!

  31. The Socialists Eugene V. Debs

  32. International Workers of the World (“Wobblies”)

  33. “Big Bill” Haywood of theIWW • Violence was justified to overthrow capitalism.

  34. Mother Jones: “The Miner’s Angel” • Mary Harris. • Organizer for theUnited MineWorkers. • Founded the SocialDemocratic Party in 1898. • One of the founding members of the I. W. W. in 1905.

  35. The “Bread & Roses” Strike DEMANDS: • 15¢/hr. wage increase. • Double pay for overtime. • No discrimination against strikers. • An end to “speed-up” on the assembly line. • An end to discrimination againstforeign immigrant workers.

  36. Lawrence, MA Strike: 1912

  37. The “Formula” unions + violence + strikes + socialists + immigrants = anarchists

  38. Sources of Labor Weakness • Wages didn’t keep up w/ cost of living • Legislative victories not enforced • Unions represented only 4% of workforce • Excluded unskilled workers • Racial and ethnic tensions • Labor force in constant motion • Strength of forces against labor

  39. Labor Union Membership

  40. Workers Benefits Today

  41. The Rise & Decline of Organized Labor

  42. Right-to-Work States Today

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