Public Service Strikes

Workers became “more numerous, better organized, more disciplined, and more successful” even though employers tried to stop them (Who Built America 113). Many of these workers led strikes for better hours, better wages and better conditions. When comparing the 1800s to today, we see that strikes were very effective, an example of this is shown in the 8-hour movement. Unions helped win “more than 60 percent of the strikes waged in 1889 and 1890” (Who Built America 113). Due to these workers, employees now face fewer obstacles. Whenever workers felt as though they were being taken advantage of they could “refuse to work, if they withdraw their cooperation, every social institution can be brought to a halt” (Brecher 5). Without workers, the employers will have no one to complete products therefore not being able to make a profit. Subsequently, employees will have leverage over the employers so they can finally sit down and negotiate their conditions. This was shown in the Michigan Central Railroad where workers fought for their wages to increase by two dollars. The workers exhibited their resistance when “streetcars, wagons, and buggies were stopped; tanneries, stoneworks, clothing factories, lumberyards, brickyards, furniture factories, and a large distillery was closed in response to roving crowds” (Brecher 31). The result of this strike was “victorious, and 2 dollars a day became the standard wage in Galveston” (Brecher 31). This strike was important because it exhibited to others that if they unite then they can achieve better conditions. If the workers did not unionize they would not have achieved equality in the workforce and better wages and conditions. Without resistance, these workers would have never gotten negotiations or the necessities they need. Even if workers lost because of outside interference they eventually had the power to change the minds of

The lack of unions that actually took part in the strike also contributed to its failure to both have an impact and to live up to its name as being a ‘General Strike’. The printers, gas and electricity, transport and railway workers were only some of a limited number of unions that went on strike. This meant that the strike could not have its effect that it was meant to. The fact that the general public didn’t give their support to the strike meant that there was a feeling around the country that what the strikers were doing was pointless. Indeed the way in which the TUC didn’t want to be

Several citizens supported the laborers because of the dangers their jobs came with and their impact on the overall economy of the United States. The strikers refused to restart the trains, so the B&O company employed new men to restart the trains, however, the strikers immediately interfered. When the police went to protect the new men, the strikers were, “reinforced by a large body of citizens, swelling the crowd till it reached the proportions of a large mob” (“Serious Strike”). The citizens were more willing to aid the strikers than the local police and militia. The locals agreed with the strikers because they were willing to go against their own militia.

Labor unions have existed in one way or another since the birth of our country in 1776. They were created in an effort to protect the working population from abuses such as sweatshops and unsafe working conditions. From the start of our Nation there were a few unions organized unions in a scattered fashion, but many were disbanded after they had achieved their goals, such as when the printers and shoemakers briefly unionized in Philadelphia and New York City in 1778 to conduct the first recorded strike for higher wages. Three years later in 1971 the first successful strike happened, when Philadelphia carpenters campaigned for a ten-hour workday. This caused the need for skilled and unskilled laborers to skyrocket during the Industrial Revolution and the Civil War and also got the ball rolling with Labor unions. At this point in our Country, there had been nothing done yet for workers’ rights, conditions, pay, and so on. People at this time saw that they could come together and do something to make their lives better for themselves and their families. Many of these dates were important in shaping our country’s labor policies into what they are today. In 1847 New Hampshire enacts as the first state to enforce a 10-hour workday law. In 1909 the International Ladies’ Garment workers’ Union calls a strike in New York, demanding a 20-percent raise and a 52-hour workweek. Within two days, more than 20,000 workers from 500 factories walk off the job. This largely successful uprising

Teamsters strive to help workers who want to bargain collectively. As management enforces a set agreement and sign it, the Union works to make it happen and hold the management to its standards. Contracts under Teamsters can guarantee fair wages, proper promotion, health insurance, job safety, off-time pay and retirement pay. The Teamsters earliest strike was made up of 4,600 people from Chicago against Montgomery Ward. The strike did not go as planned and

One form organized labor took to protest were strikes. Unfortunately, the violent nature of these strikes did more harm than good to the cause of the labor unions. Strikes were often a waste of life, ended in a lot of destruction of property, and federal troops and militia were usually sent in to stop the strikers. The Haymarket Riot was one strike that arguably, hurt the cause the most. People within the riot were labelled anarchists and communists, many were killed in the riot itself, still others were sent to death after being determined guilty in a not so fair trial, and the rioters didn’t accomplish their goal. Furthermore, the riot only led to a

I will fight this to the bitter end. I will never recognize the union, never, never.” (Document D.) Henry Clay Frick, the person from whom this quote is taken from, was the president of Carnegie Steel. He was making his workers work much harder, long, strenuous hours with poor conditions and little pay. “Exhaustion from overwork. In consequences of the long hours of labor, the great speed the machinery is run at… So much exhaustion is produced. (Document F.) This definitely needed to be addressed and it wasn’t. Unions were forming to try and help workers get more fair jobs, safer and better pay, but they often could not come to an agreement with the company. Then the workers would strike. When workers went on strike, profits and production stopped. If the company did not want to come on a consensus, often, strikes would become violent. The owners could have hired perhaps two shifts of workers, one to work during the earlier part of the day and another to work the later part of the day. This would have reduced exhaustion in workers, which also meant they would work faster if not

Anyone in the United States can go on strike if they believe they are being treated unfairly. In this case, the Boston Police had the right to go on strike in 1919 as they were being mistreated concerning wages and what they had. Some may argue that the Boston Police had no right to go on strike as many people vandalized and stole from stores as a result of these policemen going on strike, but they had the right to as they were getting paid a very low amount for their great amounts of dedication. First, policemen were overworked to the max and sometimes they had to sleep in stations just in case they were needed and in these stations, there was a lack of sanitation, baths and more. Next, to go along with the extreme hours worked, policemen

One strike that helped to further this feeling was the Pullman strike. When the workers shut down the railroad it shut down the western half if the country and stopped the economy. This brought dislike from government, businesses, and the people. Document A shows one side of the story, with an editorial from the New York Times. Within this article it said that the riots were nothing but “rash and spiteful demonstrations.” This editorial also showed the other side of the argument calling the workers bold and determined for standing up and trying to make their lives better. Many people did not agree with the stikes and the violent scenes that often took place after. Most disagreed with the sentiments of Samuel Gompers and the leaders of other unions. In Document H, Samuel Gompers talks of how the factories are constantly changing and making improvements and if the employees do not strike how they will be left behind and walked upon. He talks of how the United States was not created without suffering and struggling and so the workers must fight for what they wanted. Finally, as shown in Document E, the people did not take kindly, to the labor unions and what they were trying to do. They saw that they all had different goals and were all trying to get

If the government would have stepped in and made laws protecting these people, then the relationship between employees and employers would have been pleasing to both sides. Improving the economy, this would have prevented many strikes, riots, and disputes. Such as the Pullman Strike, it was a nasty act of violence that affected the economy by creating negative views on large companies (Document E). Strikers wrote strong letters using statements like, “We struck at Pullman because we were without hope” (Document E). They did this to convey that it was their last resort to convince upper management for realistic hours, work conditions, and wages. The relationship between the two sides influenced economy in a negative way that could have been averted with a government that took action instead of letting it get out of

As seen in the Pullman Strike, Ludlow Massacre, etc, the federal government took the side of the employers and sent in federal troops to break up strikes. This all changed in 1902 when Roosevelt took the side of the United Mine Workers in the Anthracite Coal Strike. Wilson knew that something had to be done since the coal supplies for winter were being threatened, and so he proposed both the operators and miners to accept an arbitration. The operators rejected but willingly gave in when Roosevelt threatened to seize the mines. This awarded the workers with a wage increase and lower working hours. Although the union didn’t achieve to earn the recognition they wanted, they were pleased with the government siding with them. He didn't stop there,

“It is the refusal of employers to grant such reasonable conditions and to deal with their employees through collective bargaining that leads to widespread labor unrest. The strikes which have broken out… especially in the automobile industry, are due to such “employee trouble.” (Document G)

adamantly opposed any recognition of the union. Thus, the union members decided to strike over wages, safety

First of all, many national debates get involved this strike. In the surface, the CTU declared that this strike is a labor dispute over job security, in which way laid-off teachers would be hired back according to their seniority-pay, merit-pay and in some ways surprise me, they wanted to connect teacher evaluation to student achievement as test scores just like China. In some aspects, this strike was just part of the battle across the entire country between teachers unions and education reformers.

Public workers should be able to join unions and collectively bargain because it has benefits to improve their livelihoods.