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13th Amendment
The passing of this amendment abolished slavery across the United States. It recognized the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to all Americans. -
1st Labor Day
Peter J. McGuire came up with the idea of Labor Day. He believed that American workers deserved to be honored with their own day. He proposed his idea to New York's Central Labor Union early in 1882. The first governmental recognition passed during 1885 and 1886. -
Haymarket Riot
This riot resulted from extreme tensions between laborers and the wealthy business owners. The McCormick Reaper Company was on strike. 4 people had just been killed and tensions were high. To add to the chaos, anarchists showed up and began speaking at the rally at the Haymarket Square. Someone in the crowd threw a bomb and ensued a riot. -
Samuel Gompers
This English-born, American labor union leader is responsible for the formation of one of the first labor unions; known as the American Federation of Labor (AFL). -
AFL (American Federation of Labor)
The American Federation of Labor was founded by Samuel Gompers and it's goal was to get people better hours and fairer wages. The formation of this union was a trigger for starting other unions in the nearby future. -
1892 Homestead Strike
This is considered to be one of the most violent strikes in United States history. It was between the workers and the Homestead Steel Works (part of the Carnegie Steel Company) in Pennsylvania. They were opposing wage cuts. The riot was eventually put to and end by Pinkerton Police and the state militia. This further damaged the reputation of unions. -
Pullman Strike
The Pullman Strike was a nationwide railroad strike in the United States. The conflict was between American Railway Union (ARU) and the Pullman Company. 3,000 workers went on a massive strike without consent from their union. -
Wagner Act
The Wagner Act guaranteed the right of unions to organize and collectively bargain with management. It was a New Deal Legislation that defined unjust labor practices and established the National Labor Relations Board. -
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938
The Fair Labor Standards Act (also referred to as the Wages and Hours Bill) established minimum requirements for employee's hours, wages, overtime pay, and payroll records. It was part of the second phase of the New Deal. -
1959 Steel Strike
This strike consisted of 500,000 members of the United Steelworkers of America. They went on strike against the major U.S. steel producers. It was considered the longest work stoppage until the steel strike of 1986.
