Union Drama And Development Of The United States

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

They held several successful protests across the country, demanding the “8-Hour workday”. However an employer counteroffensive began in the aftermath of the Haymarket bombing in 1886 and stopped the Knights march by the end of 1880s (Rosenzweig, Pg 91). The Haymarket incident stunned the society & created fear in the hearts of people about radicals, mobs and labor movements. The government strengthened there stance against the labor movement with increasing the presence of police, militia and the US Army. The workers learned about the power of capital and had experienced firsthand the role of government in labor-capital conflict. Another stain on the Knights of Labor was that they blatantly discriminated against the Chinese by promoting the Chinese Exclusion Act in the early

The Labor Unions organized various strikes in an attempt to improve labor conditions and rights. The strikes became increasingly more violent and the media merged the violence with radicalism, communism and anarchism. The political cartoon suggests that Labor Unions are killing capitalism with communism, the radical violence tainting the image of the Labor Unions and shifted the public support; focused on the Great Rail Road Strike of 1877 and the radical violence (Document 2). Following the Great Strike of 1877, the Haymarket Square Riot sparked further controversy towards the acts of violence. The Haymarket Square Riot and Bombing involved the Knights of Labor and advocated a violent overthrow of the American government. The Chicago police had been called to end the protest and in the chaos a bomb was thrown, injuring and killing several dozen people. After the Haymarket Square Riot, a gradual repression of the labor movement occurred. The public lost trust in the worker's associations and the campaign. The American labor movement, in general, received a setback due to the riot, also weakening the struggle for the eight-hour day demand. The Homestead Strike and Lockout of 1892 was one of the most violent strikes; the riot was ended by Pinkerton Detectives and the state militia, and the violence further damaged the image of unions. The purpose of the

Throughout American history workers were trying to defend their rules and be well-paid as well as respected by employer. The AFL organization was created in 1881 and took place in the period of Industrial revolution. It is obvious that raising industrial power were in need of worker power and to produce more and meet all deadlines which was settled by employer, usually labor rights were impaired. So, the strategy of AFL was creation loose of federation of roughly 100 “craft unions” and it’s leader was Samuel Gompers. His major strategy was to arbitrating disputes and he ensured they stuck by each other. Moreover, one of the important achievement took place in 1890, when cigar maker’s union established eight-hour workday.

Some of the union's group became violent that ever thing happens in 1892 with the Homestead Strike at Carnegie Steel where 12 people die. This happens because of him and his general manager Henry Frick lockout the worker because they did not give up their right to unionize and the change to two twelve-hour shifts rather than three eight-hour shifts. It got so bad the governor had to send the state militia. Henry Frick makes the factory into a fortress to keep out the worker by the hiring of a private army of Pinkerton detectives. But that would keep safe Frick from someone tried to kill him (Critchlow 2011).

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

Just as one small spark can start a blazing wildfire, one simple bomb on the fateful day at Haymarket Square triggered an explosion in the labor movement that no one had expected. With tension growing exponentially in the workers’ rights area of United States reform in the 1800s, scattered riots inevitably broke out among restless workers, but no previous outbreak could compare to the impact of the notorious Haymarket Riot. The explosion in the crowd of workers battling police officers on that spring day in Chicago mirrored the explosion that occurred for laborers across the nation, with a combination of both beneficial and harmful outcomes to last the rest of history.

Unions in America today have grown smaller and smaller in the past 30 years. There are many reasons for this. The major one is that industries in other countries that are non-union have much cheaper labor costs, and therefore can offer products and materials at a much lower price than our US union-run, high wage cost factories. “During the 1970s and 1980s, a fifth of large unionized companies in the United States went bankrupt, unable to compete against companies with lower wage costs.” (Rachman, 308)

In his book Death in the Haymarket, James Green recounted the American labor movement in the late 1800s. The main focus of Green’s book was the bombing of Haymarket, which occurred on May 4 in 1886. Beginning as a peaceful protest promoting the eight-hour work day, a bomb was thrown causing devastating consequences. The Haymarket bombing almost ended the labor movement altogether, with unjustified trials and fear implemented amongst all Americans. However, it is important to know that the Haymarket bombing is not just an isolated event. From wage cuts to people going on strike, labor unions starting up, to almost losing the labor movement altogether. The Haymarket bombing was the fuse to an event larger bomb known as the labor movement.

In the 1800s and early 1900s working conditions were much harsher than now. Long hours and small wages made up a day in the life of someone living in the late 1800s to the early 1900s. The Haymarket Riot was the result of the bombing in Chicago. “In the summer 1886 the campaign for an eight-hour day, long a rallying cry that united American laborers, culminated in a national strike on May 1, 1886. Between 300,000 and 500,000 workers struck across the country. In Chicago, police forces killed several workers while breaking up protestors at the McCormick reaper works. Labor leaders and radicals called for a protest at Haymarket Square the following day, which police also proceeded to break up. But as they did, a bomb exploded and killed seven policemen. Police fired into the crowd, killing four. The deaths of the Chicago policemen sparked outrage across the nation and the sensationalization of the “Haymarket Riot” helped many Americans to associate unionism with radicalism” (Yawp). As a result of the Haymarket Riot was the loss of members of the Knight of Labor. “The national movement for an eight-hour day collapsed”(Yawp). The Haymarket Riot played an important role in illustrating how labor was in the late 1800s to the

These benefits were greatly needed as seen in the working conditions experienced by the Italian immigrants of this time. These groups were organized locally which also led to their downfall because of too much local power rather than a form of national leadership. The American Federation of Labor, founded in 1185, was unique in that it restricted its membership to only skilled workers and was also organized by trade instead of locality. For this reason it “became known as the “aristocracy” of labor” (Additional Links: The War between Capital and Labor). The Italian immigrants, for example, were not commonly found in the American Federation of Labor because they were unskilled and were not unionizing. President of the American Federation of Labor, Samuel Gompers believed in the power of the strike and most importantly the belief of the eight-hour workday. In Chicago, over one thousand people gathered at the West Randolph Street Haymarket, where people bought hay for their horses. Originally it was a peaceful gathering until someone threw a bomb into the crowd. The police responded by shooting into the crowd. An unknown number of demonstrators were killed or wounded. “Sixty police officers were injured and eight eventually died. Politicians and the press blamed radicals for the violence, although there was no evidence linking specific people to the bomb” (Lecture

The ensuing conflict, between labor vs. capital, during the late 1800s initiated a struggle of power in the workforce between the rich-industrialists (or corporate leaders) and the middle-class/lower-class workers. The Capitalists had intervened with the protests orchestrated by the workers, ensuring that the power remains with them. The strategies of the industrialists and the unique ways of protesting from the workers, contributes to spur a vigorous argument between the employers and their employees. The workers tried their best to ameliorate their working conditions by forming numerous unions, trying to fix currency (gold to paper) to economically help themselves, refusing to go to work, resorting to violence and non-violence, etc. However, the Corporate leaders kept an upper hand and dissolved the workers’ ambitions by hiring scabs, creating a strong relationship with the military (Pullman strike), controlling and fixing policies at work, hiring immigrants for cheap labor, etc. Throughout the late 1800s, the corporate leaders have been able to successfully prevent workers who had resorted to: forming unions, protests (ex. Pullman strike and Homestead strike), violence (ex. Haymarket Sq. Riot), etc., from achieving a radical solution to the workers issues with the management by using several different strategies including but not limited to: hiring scabs/immigrants in the Homestead strike, using government support in the Pullman strike and keeping the power on their side

The rise of capitalism as the dominant economic system in the United States made the rise of unions inevitable; given the natural division between those with capital that control the means of production, and labor, who is treated simply as another factor of production (Hodson & Sullivan, 2008). While labor unions have made significant improvements to the working environment, with the regulation of safety, environment, labor and wage; labor unions have also contributed to the decline of U.S. dominance in industries like steel, automotive, education and airlines. In today’s global economy, can labor unions continue to be a force for good in the United States, or have they become harmful institutions?

Organized labor has seen a long and ever changing history in the United States. What began as minimal organized labor movement catapulted into astronomical union membership rates as the nation grew and developed. The intense power unions possessed only lasted so long and in the years since 1970, union membership in the United States has collapsed. This paper will examine the most significant reasons for the decline in membership. In brief, organizational redesigns, the development of technology and substantial public policy changes have all contributed to the drop in affiliation rates. In addition, policy suggestions will be provided in an attempt to support the continuation of the trend. Much of the research regarding this topic refers to

Labor Unions have had an effect of American history as well as world-wide history from the time they became popular. Following WWII Americans were predominantly pro-labor, however, as time went on union’s credibility fell short of perfect. Union strikes proved to be bothersome to both the general public and company. Unions were also suppressing to employees through fraud and lack of worker rights (in earlier years, before Acts were passed). Although Union labor had its shortcomings, this type of labor is noted to be the most productive and economically beneficial. With both sides shown, I feel Unions will again thrive in the future with a few key adjustments made.