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The Pullman Strike
Workers went in 27 states went on strike to get rents lowered and higher wages. Pullman refused to lower rents and Union leaders were arrested and imprisoned. The strike collapsed. -
Noble Order of the Knights of Labor formed
Organized by Philidelphia garment workers and it was opened to farmers, merchants and wage earners. It's objectives were to get equal pay for equal work, abolition of child labor, and 8 hour work day. -
Labor Day Holiday created
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. It was founded by Peter J. McGuire. -
American Federation of Labor (AFL) formed
It was craft oriented and focused on better working conditions. They also wanted better pay and to have Union labels put on produced items. -
Haymarket Square Riot
Workers in Chicago mark for an 8 hour day-protest McComick Harvesting machine. Policemen had to come to break up the strike and 8 of them died, hundreds were injured. Public saw unions and anarchists as a problem. -
"How the Other Half Lives" written
Written by Jacob Riis; documents squalid living conditions in New York City slums during the 1880s. It exposed what it is like to live in the slums to the upper and middle class. It is an early publication of photojournalism. -
The Homestead Strike
An industrial lockout and strike that began on June 30, 1892, culminating in a batte between strikers and private sercurity agents on July 6, 11892. It was one of the most serious disputes in US labor history. Its final result was a major defeat for the union, and a setback for efforts to unionize steelworkers. -
The Coal Strike
Strike by the United Mine Workers of America. The strike threatened to shut down the winter fuel supply to all major cities. President Roosevelt got invovled and suspended the strike. It was the first labor episode in which the federal government intervened as a neutral arbitrator. -
"The Jungle" written
Upton Sinclair described the filthy conditions of the meat packing industry to Chicago suting the Progressive Era. Upton Sinclair published The Jungle in 1905 to expose labor abuses in the meat packing industry. Sinclairs's horrific descriptions of the industry led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act, not to labor legislation. -
Pure Food and Drug Act
United States federal law that provided federal inspection of meat products and forbade the manufacture, sale, or transportation of adulterated food products and poisonous patent medicines. -
"The Bitter Cry of Children" written
It exposed the hardships suffered by child laborers in coal mines. Written by John Spargo. It explains how hard it was for a child laborer and how they worked many hours for very small wages. All of this unfair. -
Triangle Shirt Factory Fire
A fire at the Triangle Waist Company factory in New York killed 146 workers. The large number of deaths exposed the dangerous conditions in high-rise factories and prompted the creation of new building, fire, and safety codes around the United States. The fire was caused by a fire in a bin of material on the eighth floor. -
Congress of Industrial Organization formed
It was apart of AFL until 1935 and broke away because it advocated organization alone industrial lines rather than craft lines. It finally reintegrated into AFL in 1955. -
The National Labor Relations Act passed
The National Labor Relations Board was created and the power to punish unfair labor practices was legalized. Labor's right to organize legally was recognized. Pro Labor. -
GM Sit-down Strike
Strike by General Motors employees that shut down plant operations in Flint, Michigan and other cities. A sit-down strike involves workers remaining in the workplace while on strike to prevent normal business operations from being conducted. The strike spread to other GM plants in other cities. The strike was a success. -
Fair Labor Standards Act passed
For the first time, minimum ages of employment and hours of work for children are regulated by federal law. -
Steel Strike
Strike by the United Steelworkers of America against U.S. Steel and nine other steelmakers. The steel companies sued to regain control of teir facilities. The Steelworkers struck to win a wage increase. The strike lasted 53 days, and ended on July 24, 1952. -
Major League Baseball Strike
It was the first players' strike in Major League Baseball history. Baseball resumed when the owners and the players agreed on a $500,000 increase in pension fund payments and to add salary arbitration to the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The 86 games that were missed were never made up. -
New York City Transit Strike
Negotiations for a new contract with the Metropoliton Transportation Authority (MTA) broke down over retirement, pension, and wage increases. Most New York City Transit Authority personnel observed the strike, effectively halting all service on the subway and buses. Millions of commuters were affected.
