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Lowell mill girls go on strike
It all started when the American economy faultered. As a result, mill owners cut the wages of women by 15-30 percent. Although most of the girls were fired as the mill owners could do without them, it is significant in that it was one of the first labor strikes involving women in American history. -
First American general strike in Philadephia
This labor strike involved a lot of people from a lot of different trades. Around 20000 workers were involved. They sought a ten hour work day and higher wages and they ultimately got what they wanted. -
New Hampshire enacts first ten hour day law
For a while workers were wanting a ten hour work day. They wanted to be able to work less hours because they were typically longer in the summer. People from a variety of trades, including women in mills, supported and pushed for this. -
The Knights of Labor are founded
This event was very significant in that the Knights of Labor were very influential, particularly in the early days of the labor movement. Founded by Uriah Stephens, it was originally supposed to be kept secret in order to prevent employers from exploiting employees, However, he eventually told the public and it began to grow. -
Railway strike of 1877
The strike began in Baltimore and Ohio, and spread quickly to a lot of areas in the northeast. There was an intense conflict between the people striking and federal troops. The strike itself wasn't successful but Americans started to realize labor strikes were an important issue. -
Haymarket riot
This event began as a normal protest in Chicago in order to get an eight hour work day. However, things took a turn for the worse and someone set off a bomb. The police fired into the crowd and labor protesters were looked at with suspicion by the public. -
AFL is founded
Samuel Gompers, a well respected man at the time, founded this extremely influential labor union known as the American Federation of Labor or AFL for short. It sought to unite people that worked in the same trade together. Specifically though, it consisted of all skilled workers so a lot of their growth was limited. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act is passed
This act was intended to prohibit trusts and business monopolies. However, it was also significant in the labor movement. Labor unions were treated the same as trusts and businesses so they weren't able to even resemble a monopoly very much. -
Homestead strike
Perhaps one of the most well known labor strikes, the homestead strike occured at Homestead Steel Works. However, Pinkerton detectives were hired, sent to the area to assess the situation, and eventually a deadly battle occurred. The government came down hard on the laborers and tried to protect the steel industry from labor unions. -
First anti labor injunction
This event is significant in that it was the first time that the Sherman anti trust act was used against a labor union. Specifically, the Workingman's Amalgamated Council of New Orleans was told it interfered with commerce which was not okay under the Sherman anti trust act. This was a big win for business and factory owners. -
Pullman strike
This significant labor strike took place as a result of the Pullman Company laying off workers and lowering wages while keeping rent the same. Eugene Debs and the American Railway Union orchestrated the strike. Once again, the federal government sided with big business. -
Lochner v. New York
This was a very important Supreme court case. The court ultimately claimed that it was unconstitutional to set a maximum number of working hours. These types of actions violated the 14th amendment. -
IIW is founded
The IIW, or Industrial Workers of the World, was founded in Chicago. The group was made up of a variety of activists including miners from the west. This group, unlike many other organizations, was radical and as a result it inspired other radical labor movement supporters. -
ILGWU strike
Started by women working in the garment industry, they demanded a twenty percent pay raise and a 52 hour work week. It took place in New York. It was also very significant in that it was a successful labor strike, which wasn't very common at the time. -
LA Times Bombing
The LA Times bombing basically tarnished the reputation of quite a few labor movement supporters. Two people were upset with the way big businesses exploited employees so they resorted to violence. These two supporters bombed the LA Times and the public was starting to somewhat oppose the labor movement as more and more radical labor union supporters were emerging. -
Triangle shirtwaist fire
A lot of women in New York got trapped in a garment factory after it caught on fire and a lot of them died. The public was able to see after this fire that factories weren't very safe for employees and that labor reform was needed. This led to a lot of support for labor unions. -
The first minimum wage state law
Most labor movement supporters were in favor of better working conditions, better pay, and less working hours. So, labor unions probably were pleased to see this pass. Massachusetts passed this and it benefited a lot of women and minors economically. -
Department of Labor created
This was created by William Taft after he lost the 1912 election. The department was intended to aid the workers of the United States. It dealt with a lot of the issues labor unions addressed such as pay, working conditions, and working hours. -
Ludlow Massacre
Many coal miners walked out of a mines owned by Rockefeller. They thought that their wages were too low. The Colorado National Guard attacked a camp of the coal miners that were striking and their families. -
Clayton anti trust act
The Clayton anti trust act changed the Sherman anti trust act. The Clayton anti trust act exempted labor unions from being considered trusts. In addition, it legalized strikes as they were seen as a form of peaceful assembly. -
Adamson Act
This established an eight hour work day for employees of interstate railroads. It also gave people extra pay for working overtime. This was supported by most labor unions. -
Postwar strike wave
This strike included a lot of coal and textile workers. There was a lot of resistance from police in Boston. As a result, the public became suspicious of radical supporters of labor movements. -
Davis-Bacon Act
This act did a variety of things that benefitted workers in particular. Specifically, it required workers to be payed no less than the prevailing in the local economy. Also, it prevented other people from outside regions from being hired for cheaper wages. -
Wagner Act
This important event was also referred to as the National Labor Relations Act. Signed into agreement by Teddy Roosevelt, it helped labor unions tremendously. Specifically, it safeguarded labor movement efforts and it also authorized the National Labor Relations board to make sure that union elections and collective bargaining with employers was done in an orderly manner. -
Fair Labor Standards Act
This act, among other things, established a forty hour work week. In addition, it required employers to pay extra for overtime. One of the most important aspects of it, though, is that it set a federal minimum wage and limited the use of child labor. -
Smith-Connally Act
Different from the norm in this time period, this piece of legislation was anti labor union. It allowed governments to take over companies hit by strikes. In addition, it prevented unions from contributing money to political campaigns. -
Taft-Hartley Act
This act severely limited the power of labor unions. It got rid of a lot of the legislation set in place by the Wagner Act. Its intent was to allow free flow of commerce. -
NAFTA gets opposition from labor unions
When it was made, NAFTA was intended to allow free trade among Mexico, Canada, the United States, and the rest of North America for that matter. There was a lot of opposition to this as many Americans thought that companies would outsource jobs to areas like Mexico where wages would be much less. However, the response to this was that less wages paid by companies and better margins would lead to an increase in sales in the United States.