Industrial Workers

Industrial Workers Chapter 19 Section 4

Industrial growth meant more jobs, which meant a higher standard of living. By 1900 more than 1 million women worked in the industry. Women earned ½ the wages of men. There were long hours (10-12 hour workday) 6-day work week Child labor was common. Laws were passed to protect children, but were often ignored. Factories were large, impersonal, unsafe, noisy and fire traps. In 1911, a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company killed 150 young women who could not escape because the employers locked the doors. Working Conditions

Labor Unions Form • Trade Unions – were formed in the early 1800’s to represent skilled workers in certain crafts or trades, however these trade unions had little influence because each represented only one trade. • Dissatisfied workers organized into groups – labor unions – to demand better pay and working conditions from their employers.

The Knights of Labor met secretly because employers fired workers who joined labor unions. The Knights of Labor became a national organization in the 1880’s. The Knights of labor recruited people who had been kept out of trade unions, including: Women African Americans Unskilled workers The Knights of Labor

The AFL represented skilled workers in various crafts. The AFL was led by Samuel Gompers. The AFL asked for higher wages, shorter hours, and better working conditions. Another thing the AFL asked for was the right to bargain collectively – which allows workers to bargain with management. In 1904, the AFL had 1.6 million members The American Federation of Labor

Industrial Workers