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Lowell Mill Women Create First Union of Working Women
In the 1830s, half a century before the better-known mass movements for workers' rights in the United States, the Lowell mill women went on strike and mobilized in politics when women couldn't even vote and created the first union of working women in American history.But for the young women from around New England who made the mills run, they were a living hell. A mill worker named Amelia we don't know her full name wrote that mill girls worked an average of nearly 13 hours a day. -
Atlanta's Washerwomen Strike
In summer 1881, the laundresses took on Atlanta’s business and political establishment and gained so much support they threatened to call a general strike, which would have shut the city down.In July 1881, 20 laundresses met to form a trade organization, the Washing Society. They sought higher pay, respect and autonomy over their work and established a uniform rate at $1 per dozen pounds of wash. With help from black ministers they held a mass meeting and called a strike to achieve higher pay. -
Haymarket Riot
An initial rally took place in the haymarket square in Chicago which lead into being a riot after a bomb was thrown at police officers.During this strike 7 police officers and 1 civilian were killed. The rally was initially the Harvesting Machine co. were on strike to in hopes gain a shorter work day. The riot was against brutality against labor strikes. -
Homestead (Carnegie Steel Strike)
Located in pennsylvania, the strike was against the nations strongest trade union, the Amalgamated association of iron and steel workers. -
The Battle Of Cripple Creek
It all began in 1894. Cripple Creek had become a boomtown after gold was discovered. Some 150 mines sprang up. So did a strong miners union—the Free Coinage Union No. 19, which was part of the militant Western Federation of Miners (WFM). The WFM members opposed both plans. Miners went on strike, set up roving picket lines and closed most of the mines.The miners who were still going down in the working mines assessed themselves 10% of their wages to support the strikers. -
McKees Rock Strike
The strike took place at the huge Pressed Steel Car Co. plant in McKees Rock, a few miles down the Ohio River from Pittsburgh, where between 5,000 and 8,000 mostly immigrant workers from some 16 nationalities created railway cars. On July 10, 1909 on payday workers received less pay than normal and 40 riveters told the company they wouldn't work unless they were told the pay rates. -
Davis- Bacon Act
Established requirements for paying local prevailing wages on local projects for labors and mechanics only applies if contract is above $2000. Act has been amended several times. The main argument of the act was everyone was competing for local jobs, but cheap labor was steeling all of the business. -
Norris- LaGaurdia Act
This act outlawed the practice of hiring workers who agreed to not jon the Union. Extended legal protection to peaceful strikes, picketing, and boycotts.Also restricted the power of the courts to issue injunctions against unions with peaceful protests. -
Fair Labor Standards Act
This act created the first federal minimum wage at ($0.25). Restrictions were added for child labor know as child labor laws today. They also required over time pay for workers. -
The Great Postal Strike
The strike lasted 8 days in NCY and spread to surrounding cities.Pres. Nixon called US armed forces as efforts to distribute mail and stop the strike. The cause was workers felt they had awful working conditions. As white workers left, blacks started taking their place. The nation's mail system was crippled, stock market had crashed due to the strikes effect on trading. Some feared the Stock M. would be closed forever. Outcomes of the Postal Reorganization Act and American Postal Workers Union.
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