WARM-UP
Write what you’ve learned about industrial
leaders of the time period (think
Rockefeller, Carnegie…)
 Did they exploit workers?
 How do you think workers would
eventually react?
 What is a labor union?
 What is a strike?

Getting started…

Read your textbook from p. 450-455. Pay
attention to the different labor unions and
the strikes.
Labor Unions and
Strikes
Five Major Labor Unions

Knights of Labor

National Labor Union (NLU)

American Federation of Laborers (AFL)

WOBBLIES (IWW)

American Railway Union (ARU)
Knights of Labor

Founded by Uriah S. Stephens  membership opened to all
workers, and most business & professional people. Excluded:
lawyers, bankers, liquor dealers, and professional gamblers.

Actually WELCOMED women!

Not really centralized, met locally

Philosophy: 8 hour work day, abolition of child labor, wanted
long range reform to replace the “wage system” with a
“cooperative system” in which workers themselves control a large
part of the economy.

Secret organization  Late 1870s order became public and grew
to 700,000 members by 1886.

Too big to control  local chapters launched series of strikes that
discredited the Union. 1890 membership shrunk to 100,000. A
few years later, disappeared.
National Labor Union
Led by William Sylvus
 Only white members allowed
 Had over 100,000 members
 Advocated for the 8 hour workday

American Federation of Laborers
(AFL)

Founded by Samuel Gompers

Rejected the AFL’s idea of one labor union for everyone, instead
was an association of essentially autonomous craft unions and
represented mainly skilled workers.

Generally hostile to organizing unskilled workers

FL against women in the workforce all together because they felt
women should be at home, but they did seek equal pay for those
women who did work and sought women organizers for industries
predominated by women.

Philosophy: Accept capitalism, but secure for the workers a greater
share of capitalism’s material rewards. Objected fundamental
economic reform, government protection of workers. Focused
instead on Labor/Management relationships. Better Wages, hours,
and working conditions through collective bargaining, but will use
strikes if necessary.
WOBBLIES
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)
 First organizers include Eugene Debs, Bill
Haywood, and Mary Harris Jones
 wanted to organize all workers
everywhere into a single union
 Never more than 100,000 members
 Conducted numerous strikes, many with
bloodshed! --Advocated violence

American Railway Union
Founded in 1893 by Eugene Debs for
railroad workers
 incorporated a policy of unionizing all
railway workers, regardless of craft or
service
 Had over 150,000 members

Four main strikes
Great Railroad Strike of 1877
 Haymarket Square Riot
 Homestead Strike
 Pullman Strike

Famous Strikes and Riots:
The Great Railroad Strike of
1877

After cutting wages, workers went on strike across East
Coast  led to Riots

President Hayes called in state militias which caused
problems  led to over 100 dead before strike ended

Result:
–
–
–
Weakened railroad unions
Damaged reputation of labor unions because of the disruption
and failure.
10%, strikers destroyed equipment, rioted in the streets.
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877
Famous Strikes and Riots:
The Haymarket Square Riot

AFL was demanding a 8hr workday for all Employers,
and if not done by May 1, 1886, called for a general
strike

Police harassment of workers/strikers killed 4 strikers the
day before, called for a meeting in Haymarket Square

Police ordered people to disperse, bomb was thrown
(killed 6 officers, 67 injured)

8 anarchists convicted of murder, unjust trial, they were
scapegoats
– 7 sentenced to death 1 suicide, 4 executed, 2 terms to life in
prison
Haymarket Square Riot
The Homestead Strike

Mid-1880s, steel industry had new production methods, which reduced companies’
dependence on skilled labor

Carnegie decided to cut wages in his plants

Carnegie and managers repeatedly cut wages

Steel workers union called for a strike, head of homestead Henry Clay Frick called for
300 Pinkertons guards (strikebreakers)

Battle between strikers and Pinkertons, 3 guards, 10 strikers died, guards
surrendered, but company called in PA National Guard (8.000 troops)

Public turned against strikers after Frick assassination attempt and the strike was
broken
The Homestead Strike
The Pullman Strike

Pullman Palace Car Company built/repaired at company in Pullman, Chicago

Company built town of Pullman so workers could rent homes from owner,
George M. Pullman

Panic of 1893 causes Pullman to lower wages, but not rent

Workers went on strike, led by Eugene V. Debs, within days thousands of
railroad workers in 27 states/territories went on strike = no transportation from
Chicago to West Coast

President Grover Cleveland disliked unions and sent troops

Union leaders (Eugene V. Debs) were arrested and imprisoned. The strike
collapsed without leadership.
The Pullman Strike