The Growth of Unions

Knights of Labor

• First significant national labor organization with local chapters in cities throughout the United States.

• Membership open to any worker except lawyers, bankers, gamblers, and liquor dealers. Even management could to join.

• African-Americans made up around ten percent of membership.

• Sought to bring about reforms in working conditions and in society at-large.

• The Knights of Labor "Tried to be all things to all people..."

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

• 1886) founded by Samuel Gompers as a national organization of trade unions. By promoting independent and autonomous trade groups it sought to compete with the centrally controlled unionism of the Knights of labor. In its efforts to improve the economic status of wage earners the A.F. of L. used strikes and boycotts to force collective bargaining

Labor and Immigrants

• Labor unions were often unsympathetic to immigrants.

• Business leaders were quick to exploit the cheap, desperate labor of unskilled laborers unable to speak English; with little political or organizing power

The Changing American

Labor Force

The Changing American

Labor Force

The Molly Maguires(1875)

The Molly Maguires(1875)

JamesJamesMcParlandMcParland

The Corporate “Bully-Boys”:

PinkertonAgents

The Corporate “Bully-Boys”:

PinkertonAgents

Management vs. Labor

Management vs. Labor

““Tools” of Tools” of ManagementManagement

““Tools” of Tools” of LaborLabor

““scabs”scabs”

P. R. campaignP. R. campaign

PinkertonsPinkertons

lockoutlockout

blacklistingblacklisting

yellow-dog yellow-dog contractscontracts

court injunctionscourt injunctions

open shopopen shop

boycottsboycotts

sympathy sympathy demonstrationsdemonstrations

informational informational picketingpicketing

closed shopsclosed shops

organized organized strikesstrikes

““wildcat” strikeswildcat” strikes

The Great Railroad Strike of 1877

The Great Railroad Strike of 1877

Haymarket Riot (1886)

Haymarket Riot (1886)

McCormick Harvesting Machine Co.McCormick Harvesting Machine Co.

Haymarket MartyrsHaymarket Martyrs

Governor John Peter Altgeld

Governor John Peter Altgeld

Homestead Steel Strike

(1892)

Homestead Steel Strike

(1892)

The Amalgamated The Amalgamated Association of Association of

Iron & Steel WorkersIron & Steel Workers

Homestead Steel Homestead Steel WorksWorks

Pullman CarsPullman Cars

A Pullman A Pullman porterporter

The Pullman Strike of 1894

The Pullman Strike of 1894

President Grover Cleveland

President Grover Cleveland

If it takes the entire army and navy to If it takes the entire army and navy to deliver a postal card in Chicago, that card deliver a postal card in Chicago, that card

will be delivered!will be delivered!

The Pullman Strike of 1894

The Pullman Strike of 1894

Government by injunction!Government by injunction!

The SocialistsThe Socialists

Eugene V. DebsEugene V. Debs

Mother Jones: “The Miner’s Angel”

Mother Jones: “The Miner’s Angel”

Mary Harris.Mary Harris.

Organizer for theOrganizer for theUnited MineUnited MineWorkers.Workers.

Founded the Founded the SocialSocialDemocratic Party Democratic Party in 1898.in 1898.

One of the One of the founding founding members of the I. members of the I. W. W. in 1905.W. W. in 1905.

The “Bread & Roses” Strike

The “Bread & Roses” Strike

DEMANDS:DEMANDS:

15¢/hr. wage increase.15¢/hr. wage increase.

Double pay for overtime.Double pay for overtime.

No discrimination against strikers.No discrimination against strikers.

An end to “speed-up” on the An end to “speed-up” on the assembly line.assembly line.

An end to discrimination againstAn end to discrimination againstforeign immigrant workers.foreign immigrant workers.