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Knights of Labor
This organization supported the social and cultural uplift of the "working man". Their size fluctuated but they remained acting as a labor union. They worked with people of several religions, however they were not as inclusive as they were believed to be. They excluded Asians, and were especially anti-immigration. They believed that the low wages that were given to immigrants were keeping the remaining wages low. -
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Samuel Gompers
Samuel Gompers was a U.S. labor leader and the founder and first president of the AFL. He was active in AFL from 1886 until his death in 1924. He opposed unrestricted immigration because he believed that it lowered wages. -
Shirtwaist Factory Fire
The Shirtwaist Factor Fire of 1911 was caused because of the unsafe working conditions the workers were kept in. Many of the deaths were caused by the men, women and children jumping to their deaths because there was no way out of the building. 146 people died and another 78 were injured because they kept all doors and stairways locked to keep workers from taking unauthorized breaks. -
The Textile Workers Strike of 1934.
The Textile Workers Strike of 1934 was the largest of its time with 400,000 strikers, lasting 22 days. The became a very violent one. Strikers were violently deterred from striking by strike breakers. Later in the strike, several deaths occurred. There are reports of several strikers dying and being wounded due to being shot in the back while fleeing from both officers and strikebreakers. -
The Wagner Act
The Wagner Act is arguably the most important piece of legislature in the fight for labor rights. The act prohibited businesses from firing or discriminating against employees in a union. It also allowed disputes to be heard in a quasi-judicial setting. (semi-formal court setting) -
General Motors Sit Down Strike
The General Motors Sit-Down Strike, also known as the "Flint Sit-Down Strike" occurred late December 1936 and continued into February 1937. The strikers physically occupied the plant so that no work could be done. The police soon arrived, armed and with tear gas. 14 strikers were injured by gun-fire during the strike. -
Taft-Hartley Act
The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 was passed by Congress despite having been vetoed by President Truman. The purpose of the act was to limit the power and activities of labor unions. It prohibited "jurisdictional strikes, wildcat strikes, solidarity or political strikes, secondary boycotts, secondary and mass picketing, closed shops, and monetary donations by unions to federal political campaigns." -
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Steel Strike of 1959
The Steel Strike of 1959 was a labor union strike that lasted 116 days. This strike occurred because employers demanded that the union give up the clause that limited the employers ability to change the number of workers, change rules or introduce new machinery into the factories. In response, Eisenhower invoked the "back-to-work provisions of the Taft-Hartley Act. The Union tried to work to have the act declared unconstitutional, but it was upheld. -
May Chen
May Chen was led the New York Chinatown Strike of 1982. This was the largest of the Asian-American workers strikes. 20,000 garment factory workers marched the streets and demanded work contracts. She organized several other strikes, the majority focusing on higher wages and safer working conditions. She also wanted their workplaces to observe Confucian teachings of fairness and respect. -
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was an organization that grouped labor unions and fought for workers rights. They strongly opposed immigration. AFL believed that immigration would flood the labor market and lower wages.
