Knights Of Labour Research Paper

Organized labor began to rise as the business tycoons and big business owners, "…took advantage of this lawless environment to build fortunes, destroy reputations, exploit both workers and the environment, and gouge consumers" (Shi &Tindall 620). Such acts by the business tycoons prompted many workers to demand higher wages, better working hours, and safer working conditions. As the turn of the 20th Century approached, factories started emerging, and technological innovations since, "The U.S. patents office, which had recorded only 276 inventions during the 1790's, registered almost 250,000 new patents in the 1890's" (Shi &Tindall 622). The inventions led to the advancement of machines in factories as they reduced labor costs, lowered the production costs of certain goods, and essentially creating a widespread mass production of goods. As most individuals began to notice, unfairness among their workplace, they included themselves in certain labor unions including the Knights of Labor (KOL), Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), and the American Federation of Labor (AFL). All three groups had different beliefs: the Knights of Labor included all members whether skilled or unskilled in their group; the AFL rejected Capitalism and focused on working conditions—as they were successful in organized labor; and lastly, the IWW strived for strong industrial unions or Unionism.

Terence Vincent Powderly was born to Irish immigrants in Carbondale, Pennsylvania on January 22, 1849. Powderly spent his childhood growing up in Pennsylvania and attending school until he began working for the Delaware and Hudson Railroad at the early age of 13, his educational career then ended. A few short years later, at the age of 17, Powderly become a machinist and pursued that line of work for eleven years. In 1871 Powderly joined the Machinists’ and Blacksmith’s Union and a year later was appointed the organization’s president. A few years later in 1874 Powderly joined another secretive organization named the Knights of Labor. He quickly progressed into a leadership role as Corresponding Secretary. In February of 1878 Powderly was elected for his first of three terms as Mayor of Scranton. A few months later, in 1879, he was elected the union’s highest leadership position, Grand Master Workman, until 1883 when he was titled General Master Workman of the Knights of Labor. During his time as serving on leadership with the Knights of Labor, Powderly helped to increase the organization’s membership from around 80,000 members to 700,000 members in one year. During his role as General Master Workman, he made a drastic impact on the “power of labor in the United States”2 by his passion for the working class and the union. Powderly was a pro-labor activist whom supported six, eight-hour workdays a week that resulted in just pay. He believed that Sunday should be

1886, which dissipated one of the most inclusive unions known as the Knights of Labor.

Because of this, the Colored National Labor Union was created by blacks themselves but the differences did not allow them to work together. The National Labor union strongly advocated for eight hour workdays. Another union called the Knights of Labor emerged that first began as a secret society. Their purpose was to include all workers in “one big union.” They allowed everyone: blacks, whites, men, women, the skilled and unskilled. Terence V. Powderly led this union to win several strikes for an eight- hour day. Unfortunately, the Knights of Labor were involved in a violent protest called Haymarket Square. They were mistaken to be associated with anarchists and this brought them to their downfall. Finally, a successful union shows up called the American Federation of Labor (AFL), founded by Samuel Gompers, which only allowed skilled workers. In the end, usually the management won with the strikers having little improvement.

The 1800s is characterized with the rise of industrial America. As technological advances were introduced to industry, unskilled labor also rose in accordance to the rise in factories. However, this rise also introduced several labor unions such as the Knights of Labor, which organized a series of protests and riots. The labor unions had good intentions, aiming to lower the average work hours for workers, as well as increase their wages. However, their methods which involved riots and protests, were altogether not effective, and ended up being detrimental to their cause. Between 1875 and 1900, labor unions surged and were temporarily successful; however, their methods would prove detrimental to their cause overtime, leading to their

The immigrants worked hard to survive even though they were not accepted and received low wages. It really is admiral that this people would work in the conditions they worked in just to have a better life. In the course book on page 621, it states that the Knights of Labor envisioned a “universal brotherhood” for all workers, from the common laborers to master craftsmen. I did some research and found an article titled, “Knights of Labor”, written History.com Staff. In this article, it mentions how the Knight of Labor sought eight-hour days, abolition of child labor, equal pay for equal work, and political reforms. As you can see, America was gradually becoming a “land of opportunity”. In my opinion, America, to a certain degree, earned the

The employers declared their opposition to these Boycotts by saying that were “un-american and anti-american”, and then they went turned to courts against the Unions. The most successful labor union, Knights of Labor was established in 1869 in Philadelphia. The Knights believed in a government determined by the people and production determined by the workers. Labor reform was one of the key objectives of the Knights of Labor. To the Gilded age labor reformers the debasement of politics and society rested in part on the capacity of the rich to corrupt governments in their own self interests. They Knights said that, “We declare an inevitable and irresistible conflict between the wage system of labor and republican system of government” (Rosenzweig,Pg 95-96). Knights of Labor extended their memberships to all of the working-class instead of just limiting to “skilled workers”. They broke the norm from other labor movements by including women, African Americans, Mexicans in their movements, who were previously shut out of the labor movement. While in some states, the Knights held combined assemblies where the Black and the White workers joined forces in demonstrations, some other places held separate assemblies and this garnered criticizm from some the skilled African American laborers(Rosenzweig, Pg 97). The knights excluded non producers such as lawyers, bankers, speculators, and

Everyone was frustrated with work conditions and this led to the formations of unions around the country. The Knights of Labor was a very popular union that led the first major strike in the United States. The year was 1885 and Jay Gould’s Missouri Pacific Railroad was the target. The owner, Jay Gould, had recently cut wages drastically and fired union members. The Knights led the strike and eventually succeeded to improve wages for the railroad workers. With this great accomplishment the Knights gained

The Knights of Labor was a standard labor union comprised of individual workers across the nation. They were inclusive in terms, employing both skilled workers in crafts industries as well as unskilled laborers such as coalminers. (Rayback, 1966, p. 168). They had limited political objectives such as the eight-hour workday and the prohibition of child and convict labor. Their broader objectives were social: to improve the image and social status of the working man.

However, many of the business leaders were not willing to give in to the demands of fewer work hours and days or higher wages. The first effective American union was founded in 1869 by Uriah Stephens and was called The Knights of Labor. The goal of the union was to bring in all workers to unite and fight for their rights. In 1879, Terence Powderly took over the leadership of the union and gained notability by accepting almost all workers, including farm hands, factory workers, women, African Americans, and immigrants were welcome in the union, However, the union excluded white-collared workers, such as doctors, lawyers, bankers, and liquor dealers.The Knights of Labor became the largest in the country for a short time, gaining notoriety in 1884 and 1885 when union members organized successful strikes against the Southwest railroad companies. After the strikes, membership increased to approximately 100,000 members in 1884 to over 750,000 by 1886. The success of the Knights of Labor quickly faded as the union was unable to coordinate it's members activities due to the members coming from a variety of regions, industries, and ethnic backgrounds. And, although the railroad strikes assisted in the success of the union, Powderly avoided strikes believing that they threatened the union's public standing. The collapse of the union came in 1886 when workers in Chicago went on strike against the McCormick Harvester Company demanding eight-hour workdays. On May 3, 1886, four of the strikers were killed in a confrontation with the police. A rally was held the next day at the Haymarket Square in protest of the police actions. While attempting to break up this protest, a stick of dynamite was thrown at the police and killing seven officers and wounding dozens more. The police response was to fire their weapons at the crowd, killing four

The Knights of Labor represented the pinnacle of the up lift labor movement. They, at one time, had membership that numbered in the hundreds of thousands and nearly hit a million members. This organization was unique in its time because it espoused many of the ideals we hold today as statutory for an ethical and equitable society as well as employee and employer relationships. The Knights of Labor did not begrudge industry or capitalism, moreover they were less of a concern than the organization’s larger goal to protect and promote social equity in labor and society, for the common man.

Knights of Labor were one of the first major unions. The union boasted a large membership

The Painting Job by Jan Lievens is based on a famous Christian fable depicting Job at the end of this story. In the painting, Job is a virtuous man whom God abandoned. A man who was once relatively prosperous in the world, with health and wealth, has had these things taken away from him and is seen sitting in misery as demons torment him. He sits beside a plumed hat and gold chain, symbolizing his former wealth. Jobs' wife stands behind these items, speaking to Jobs, saying, "do you still persist in your integrity?"

United forever in friendship and labour, Our mighty republics will ever endure. The Great Soviet Union will live through the ages. The dream of a people their fortress secure.

It is certainly true that the current law defining the employment status of ‘workers’ is uncertain, as it is wholly inflexible to deal effectively with cases of non-standard forms of employment, atypical workers, for example: agency workers, part-time workers, fixed-term workers, as required workers and homeworkers. Thus, reform is necessary to redress the concerns of lack of legal certainty in relation to this area of the law.