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Noble Order of the Knights of Labor
This was organized by Philadelphia garment workers in 1869. It was opened to farmers, merchants, and wage earners. Its objectives were 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. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City. -
Haymarket Square Riot
Workers in Chicago march for an 8hr day- protest McComick Harvesting machine. Police had to come to break up the strike. Anarchists were blamed for violence, 8 policemen died and 100 were injured. -
American Federation of Labor (AFL)
Focused on better working conditions, better pay, union labels on produced iteams, and craft oriented. It was organized in 1886. Samuel Gompers, who served as president 1886-1895 and 1896-1924, provided conservative leadership. -
"How the Other Half Lives" written
"How the Other Half Lives" was the studies of the Tenements of New York.You can feed your way through the halls, if you cannot see. All Tenements have access to the sinks in the hallway, which can all be poisoned alike by their summer stenches. When the summer heats come with their suffering they have meaning more terrible than words can tell. A hundred thousand people lived in rear tenements. Those that are not the washerwomans's professional shingle. -
The Homestead Strike
An industrial lockout and strike that began on June 20, 1892, culminating in a battle between strikers and private security agents on July 6, 1892. It was one of the most serious disputes in US labor history. The final result was a major defeat for the union, and a setback for efforts to steelworkers. -
The Coal Strike
The Coal Strike was a strike by the United Mine Workers of America in the anthracite coal fields of eastern Pennsylvania. The strike threatened to shut down the winter fuel supply to all major cities. The strike was suspended by president Theodore Roosevelt and was never resumed. The coal strike was the first labor episode in which the federal government intervened as a neutral arbitrator. -
"The Jungle" written
It was exposed to labor abuses in the meat packing industry. Muckraker Upton Sinclair described the filthy conditions of the meat packing industry in Chicago during the Progressive Era. It led to the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act, not to labor legislation. Sinclair said "This is no fairy story and no joke". It helped us, now our meat will be edible and we dont have to worry about the problems they did. -
"The Bitter cry of Children" written
The Bitter Cry of the Children exposed hardships suffered by child laborers, such as coal miners. Work in the coal breakers is exceedingly hard and dangerous. The coal is hard, and accidents to the hands, such as cut, broken, or crushed fingers, are common among the boys. Or even worse, boys get mangled and torn in the machinery. -
Pure Food and Drug Act passed
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 muckrakers had successfully heightened public awareness of safety issues stemming from careless food preparation procedures and the increasing incidence of drug addiction from patent medicines, -
Triangle Shirt Factory Fire
275 girls started to collect their belongings as they were leaving work at 4:45 PM on Saturday. Within twenty minutes some of girls' charred bodies were lined up along the East Side of Greene Street. Those girls who flung themselves from the ninth floor were merely covered with tarpaulins where they hit the concrete. At the time of the fire the only safety measures available for the workers were 27 buckets of water and a fire escape that would collapse when people tried to use them. -
Congress of Industrial Organization
It was a part of the AFL (american federation labor) until 1935. It broke away because it advocated organization along industrial lines rather than craft lines. Finally, it reintegrated into AFL in 1955. -
The National Labor Relations Act passed
It was concidered a pro labor and Wagner Act. Labor's right to organize legally recognized. National Labor Relations Board created it. The power was to punish unfair labor practices. -
The GM Sit-down Strike
This was a strike by General Motors employees that shut down plant operations in Flint, Michigan, and other cities from December 30, 1936 - February 11, 1937.This strick was brought to the attention of the general public because of the action against GM brought the tatic sit-down stricks and their effectiveness. Workers remained working while on strike.That was to keep the business operations from being conducted. -
Fair Labor Standards Act passed
For the first time, minimum ages of employment and hours of work for children are regulated by federal law. President Franklin D. Roosevelt characterized the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 as “the most far-reaching, far-sighted program for the benefit of workers ever adopted in this or any other country.” Nearly 700,000 workers were affected by the wage increase initially and some 13 million more were ultimately affected by the hours provision. -
Steel Strike
Strike by the United Steelworkers of America against U.S. Steel and nine other steelmakers. It began on April 9, 1952. The steel companies sued to regain control of their facilities . The steelworkers struck to win a wage increase. The strike lasted 53 days, it ended on July 24, 1952. It ended on essentially the same terms the union had proposed four months earlier. -
Major League Baseball Strike
The 1972 baseball strike was the first players' strike in Major League Baseball history. It occured form April 1, 1972 - April 13, 1972. The owners and players agreed on a $500,000 increase in pension fund payments and to add salary arbitration to the Collective Bargaining Agreement and thats when baseball resumed.There were 86 games missed because of the strike and they were never played. -
The Pullman Strike
Company built town of Pullman so workers could rent homes from owner, George M. Pullman. Workers went on strike because rents were high and they were still getting the same salary. The strike was led by Eugene V. Debs, and workers within 27 states went on strike, there was then no transportation from chicago to West Coast. Union laders ( Eugene V. Deb) were arrested and imprisoned. The strike then collapsed. -
New York City Transit Strike
It was a strike in New York City called by the Transport Workers Union Local 100. The strike began at 3:00 a.m. on December 20, 2005. Millions of commuters were affected. When the strike ended service was restored overnight, with all transportation systems fully operational by the morning commute of the 23rd.
