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Samuel Gompers
First and longest serving leader of the American Federation of Labor Union. He is known to change the primary goal on unions from social issues and in to issues of wages, benefits, hours, and working conditions. -
Thirteenth Amendment
This amendment states that slavery or any involuntary servitude will be allowed, unless the work is being done as a punishment for crime. Congress has the power to enforce this article with the appropriate means. -
Knights of Labor
First important national labor organization led by Uriah Smith Stephens in secrecy. Then Terence V. Powderly was elected for leader and they started initiating stikes and other economic pressure to gain their objectives -
The First Labor Day
Peter J. McGuire decided it'd be a great idea to have a significant day to honor American Workers, purposely making the date right in between the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving. This day was celebrated with picnics, concerts, and speeches. It was changed to be celebrated the first Monday of September and Congress passed legislation to make it a national holiday. -
Haymarket Riot
A bomb was thrown at a group of policemen attempting to break up a labor rally. The police reacted with a wild gunfire which ended up injuring many and killing 8 people. -
Pullman Strike
George M. Pullman was the founder and president of the Pullman Palace Car Company. He treated his workers with such disgrace and charged for everything in his Pullman City. when depression hit, he cut the workers wages by 25 percent but he didnt decrease rent or any other prices. The American Railroad Union would not let any trains though if they had a Pullman car. -
Shirtwaist Factory FIre
The top floors of the Triangle Shirtwaist company in New York City caught on fire due to the horrible conditions of the sweatshops. 146 workers died in this horrible accident but their death could've been preventable. The fire trucks water hose was too short to reach the floors that were burning, the fire escape had broken down, and there were locked doors. -
1930s General Motors Sit Down Strike
Workers wanted the company to stop sending work to non-union plants and have a fair minimum wage scale established. The sit-down lasted 44 days and the police even started attacking the men. -
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938
At the time of President Roosevelt's ruling a law was passed that established the minimum wage and hours for workers. wages were raised up to 25 cents per hours and 40 hours a week. Also the most significant change was that this act banned child labor. -
Steel Strike of 1959
Largest strike in history with 500,000 people participating. This strike shut down almost every steel mill in in the country from just a simple request for higher wages due to the companies recording higher profits.
