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Labor Unions and Factory Working Conditions

This lesson explores the reasons for labor organizing and the impact of labor unions on working conditions. It also discusses key labor unions and their leaders, as well as the violent confrontations that tarnished the labor movement's image. The lesson also describes the dangerous and exploitative working conditions endured by factory workers during the Industrialization period.

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Labor Unions and Factory Working Conditions

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  1. Industrialization Day 13 & 14 Section 5.4 Unions (Appleby 200-207)

  2. Today’s Agenda • Essay or Presentation due this Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! • 5.4 Unions Slide Show • Homework • Study for your Quiz

  3. Review • What characterizes a market economy? • What characterizes a command economy? • What is social Darwinism? • What is a monopoly? • What is horizontal integration? • What is vertical integration?

  4. Factory Work

  5. By the end of this lesson you will be able to: • Explain why laborers organized by identifying the condition under which they worked. • Identify the significant labor unions, people who led them, and analyze their impact on the labor movement. • Explain how several violent confrontations gave labor a bad and radical image and created a backlash against the movement.

  6. Describe the working conditions endured by factory workers. 16:48-20 • Dangerous • 12-14 hour workday • 6 days a week • Women received ½ pay of men • Fired for any reason • No sick days, No health insurance, No workers compensation • Employed children from age 5 and up

  7. Can he ask for more money? NO. Easily replaced by immigrant Can he complain about conditions to his boss? NO Easily replaced Where can the worker do? Unite Vote What options did a worker have?

  8. What are unions? • Union= Organization in which workers band together to form a collective voice to gain better pay, conditions, etc. • Origins rooted in guilds of Middle Ages

  9. What methods do unions and employers (owners) use to fight each other? • Union Weapons • Strike= a work stoppage • Boycott= organized agreement not to buy from certain company • Employers (Owners) Weapons • Lockout= when the employer closes his business to force workers to abide by his rule • Scab= worker hired to replace striking workers

  10. Who were the Knights of Labor? • Labor union made up of various skilled and unskilled workers • Wanted: • shorter work day (8 hours) • An end to child labor • Equal pay for women • Graduated income tax • Gov. ownership of telegraph and RR companies • Labeled as violent anarchists, socialists by press • Excluded Chinese laborers

  11. What was the American Federation of Labor (AFL)? • Less radical labor union • Accepted capitalism • (But)…Wanted “Piece of the Pie” • Better wages • Better working conditions • Less hours • Led by Samuel Gompers • Rejected socialism, communism • Used non violent methods • Strikes and boycotts

  12. Describe the Homestead Strike (1892). • Steel mill owned by Carnegie • Workers • Worked 12 hour shifts 6 days a week • Wanted better pay, better hours • Went on strike in 1892 • Henry Frick • President of Homestead Steel • Decreased wages by 22% • Lockout • Hired scabs • Protected by 300 Pinkerton guards • Private security force known for brutality • Violent confrontation led to several workers killed • Strike failed • Workers returned with pay decrease • Tarnished Carnegie’s image • Reinforced image that unions were violent by press

  13. Where would you rather live?New York City or Pullman Town

  14. Describe life in Pullman Town. • George Pullman • Developed luxurious RR sleeping cars • Pullman Town • “utopian” town for his workers outside Chicago • Meant to eliminate the ills of urban industrial slums • controlled all facets of his workers’ lives • Wages, homes, stores, schools, church, books, shows, alcohol “We are born in a Pullman house, fed from the Pullman shop, taught in the Pullman school, catechized in the Pullman church, and when we die we shall be buried in the Pullman cemetery and go to the Pullman Hell.”

  15. Describe the Pullman strike. • Panic of 1893 • Pullman cut wages (by 33%) • Did not lower rents, prices • Pullman workers went on strike • Eugene V. Debs • Socialist & leader of American Railway Union • To help Pullman strikers he ordered railway workers not to connect Pullman cars • President Grover Cleveland • Ordered workers back to work • Claimed strike was interfering with delivery of mail • US army crushed the strike and arrested the union leaders Where is Cleveland on the political spectrum?

  16. By 1896, were unions successful in improving the lives of workers? • No • Public view unions as violent • Unions too exclusive • Women, African Americans, Chinese, immigrants, unskilled workers not allowed to join

  17. What can the workers do? • Vote!!

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