The rise of new unions

1. The rise of new unions CHAPTER 2 SECTION 2

2. The Knights of Labor A. Despite the difficulties they faced, unions grew in membership and strength during the late 1800s B. The most influential labor organization was the Noble Order of the Knights of Labor 1.) Founded in 1869, the Knights of Labor attempted to bring ALL workers, as well as women and all races, into one big union

3. The Knights of Labor C. Terrence Powderly led the Knights of Labor after 1879. 1.) He persuaded the Knights to support equal pay for women, temperance, abolition of child labor, and the establishment of cooperatively owned industrial plants D. Membership in the Knights soared from 100,000 in 1885 to 700,000 in under a year Terrence Powderly

4. The Knights of Labor E. The Knights soon ran into trouble, however 1.) The union ran into financial difficulties and ultimately failed to unite its diverse membersto focus on common goals

5. The Knights of Labor F. The decline of the Knights was hastened by the Haymarket Square riot in Chicago on May 4, 1886 1.) What started as a peaceful workers protest turned violent after someone threw a bomb into a group of police officers

6. The Knights of Labor 2.) Seven people were killed and 60 were injured before it was over 3.) In the wake of the Haymarket affair, the Knights became identified with radicalism and violence

7. The AFL G. In 1886, the American Federation of Labor (AFL), another large union, organized 1.) The AFL accepted only skilled workers and indicated a reluctance to accept women and minorities H. Samuel Gompers led the AFL 1.) He preached such goals as higher wages, shorter hours, and benefits for disabled workers

8. The AFL I. Due to effective organization and leadership, the AFL thrived 1.) Between 1890 and 1900, its membership rose from 190,000 to 500,000

9. The Pullman Strike A. To address the needs of unskilled and semiskilled labor while avoiding the “one big union,” approach, a new type of labor organization developed 1.) This was the industrial union, in which all classes of workers in a single industry joined together

10. The Pullman Strike B. In 1893, Eugene Debs formed the American Railway Union 1.) This union included all types of railroad workers, from conductors, firemen, and engineers, to telegraph operators and station clerks

11. The Pullman Strike C. In 1894, thousands of workers for the Pullman Palace Car Company went on strike over layoffs and wage cuts. 1.) The American Railway Union took up the Pullman workers’ cause 2.) The union called for members to refuse to work on any train that included the Pullman car 3.) Within 5 days, 100,000 workers had walked off the job

12. The Pullman Strike D. With railway traffic paralyzed, the federal government stepped in 1.) The government obtained an injunction forbidding the union to continue the strike 2.) Debs refused to obey the injunction and was sent to prison E. Without Debs leadership, however, the Pullman strike collapsed, as did the American Railway Union 1.) From that point on, employers often used the injunction as a means of breaking up strikes

13. The Pullman Strike F. Despite increased union membership, by 1900 most working people remained unorganized – only 4% of American workers belonged to unions G. Nonetheless, unions had made some strides in the late 1800s 1.) Wages began to increase slowly, and the workday shortened 2.) In addition, nearly every state passed laws regulating working conditions and requiring minimum standards of health and safety