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Commonwealth vs. Hunt
Supreme court case that decided common law doctrine of criminal conspiracy did not apply to labor unions. Case branched off from a demand made by the Boston journeymen Bootmakers. -
National Labor Union
Was considered to be the first national labor federation the United States had and paved the way for other organizations such as the Knights of labor. Pushed to bring all other labor unions together to unite the fight against unfair wages and working conditions. -
American Federation of Labor
Was a national federation of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in December 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. The AFL was the largest union grouping in the United States for the first half of the 20th century, even after the creation of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) by unions that were expelled by the AFL in 1935 over its opposition to industrial unionism. -
Grangers
A group of agrarian organizations that worked to increase the political and economic power of farmers.The Grangers opposed monopolized and corrupt businesses and supported relief for debtors. -
Knights of Labor
Largest and one of the most important labor organizations in the United States during its time. Most famous leader was Terence V. Powerdley. They promoted social and cultural uplifting of the workingmen, while rejecting socialism and anarchism. -
Granger Laws
Series of laws passed in Midwest states, promoted by farmers. There main goal was to regulate rising fare prices of railroad and grain companies after the American Civil War. -
Greenback Party
Was an American political party with an anti-monopoly ideology which was active between 1874 and 1889. The party opposed the deflationary lowering of prices paid to producers entailed by a return to a bullion-based monetary system, the policy favored by the dominant Republican Party. -
Farmers Alliance
Was an organized agrarian economic movement among American farmers that developed and flourished in 1875. One of the goals of the organization was to end the adverse effects of the crop-lien system on farmers in the period following the American Civil War. -
Terence V Powderley
Head of the Knights of Labor. Was a poor administrator to the Knights of Labor and barley kept it under control. -
Workingmen's Party
Was one of the first Marxist-influenced political parties in the United States. It is remembered as the forerunner of the Socialist Labor Party of America. Was formed when a group of socialist met in Philadelphia met to unify their power. Had little power to wield until the Railroad strikes of 1877. Even then that power didn't last long. -
Great Railroad Strike
Sometimes referred to as the Great Upheaval. Was started by the wages of railroad workers were cut for the third time in one year by the Baltimore and Ohio railroad Company. Ended 45 days later being put down by local and states militias. -
Haymarket Sq. Riot
A labor protest rally near Chicago's Haymarket Square turned into a riot after someone threw a bomb at police. At least eight people died as a result of the violence that day. Despite a lack of evidence against them, eight radical labor activists were convicted in connection with the bombing. -
Samuel Gompers
Was an English-born, American labor union leader and a key figure in American labor history. Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor (AFL), and served as the organization's president from 1886 to 1894 and from 1895 until his death in 1924. He promoted harmony among the different craft unions, trying to minimize jurisdictional battles. He promoted thorough organization and collective bargaining to secure shorter hours and higher wages. -
Eugene Debs
One of the founding members of the Industrial workers of the world. Payed a big role in the Burlington Railroad strike. Started to gear the labor unions to unify and be more confrontational with these massive railroad companies realizing this is what was needed to get what they wanted. -
Populist Party
AKA The People's party was an agrarian-populist political party in the United States.It played a major role as a left-wing force in American politics. It was merged into the Democratic Party in 1896; a small independent remnant survived until 1908. It drew support from angry farmers in the West and South and operated on the left-wing of American politics. It was highly critical of capitalism, especially banks and railroads, and allied itself with the labor movement. -
Pullman Strike
Was a nationwide railroad strike in the United States on May 11, 1894 and a turning point for US labor law. It pitted the American Railway Union (ARU) against the Pullman Company, the main railroads, and the federal government of the United States under President Grover Cleveland. -
Anthracite Coal Strike
Was a strike by the United Mine Workers of America in the anthracite coalfields of eastern Pennsylvania. Miners struck for higher wages, shorter workdays and the recognition of their union. -
Muller vs. Oregon
Was a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court. It was used to justify both sex discrimination and usage of labor laws. The case upheld Oregon state restrictions on the working hours of women as justified by the special state interest in protecting women's health. The ruling had important implications for protective labor legislation. -
Women Trade Union
Was a U.S. organization of both working class and more well-off women formed in 1903 to support the efforts of women to organize labor unions and to eliminate sweatshop conditions. The WTUL played an important role in supporting the massive strikes in the first two decades of the twentieth century that established the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union and Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and in campaigning for women's suffrage among men and women workers. -
Industrial Workers of the World
Members of which are commonly termed "Wobblies", is an international labor union that was founded in 1905 in Chicago, Illinois in the United States of America. The union combines general unionism with industrial unionism, as it is a general union whose members are further organized within the industry of their employment. The philosophy and tactics of the IWW are described as "revolutionary industrial unionism", with ties to both socialist and anarchist labor movements. -
Shirtwaist Fire
Was the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the city, and one of the deadliest in US history. Because the owners had locked the doors to the stairwells and exits a then-common practice to prevent workers from taking unauthorized breaks and to reduce theft many of the workers who could not escape from the burning building simply jumped from the high windows. -
National War Labor Board
Was an agency of the United States government. It was created in early 1918 by President Woodrow Wilson. It was made up of twelve members from business and labor. The co-chairmen were former President William Howard Taft and attorney Frank Walsh. Its purpose was to make sure labor strikes did not hurt the war effort. The board ended after the war in May 1919. The National War Labor Board was reestablished on January 12, 1942 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. -
Wagner Act
Is a foundational statute of United States labor law which guarantees basic rights of private sector employees to organize into trade unions, engage in collective bargaining for better terms and conditions at work, and take collective action including strike if necessary. The act also created the National Labor Relations Board, which conducts elections that can require employers to engage in collective bargaining with labor unions (also known as trade unions) -
Congress of Industrial Organization
Was a federation of unions that organized workers in industrial unions in the United States and Canada from 1935 to 1955. Created by John L. Lewis in 1935, it was originally called the Committee for Industrial Organization, but changed its name in 1938 when it broke away from the American Federation of Labor. -
Flint Sit Down Strike
Changed the United Automobile Workers (UAW) from a collection of isolated locals on the fringes of the industry into a major labor union and led to the unionization of the domestic United States automobile industry. -
Taft Harley Act
Is a United States federal law that restricts the activities and power of labor unions. -
Landrum Griffin Act
Is a US labor law that regulates labor unions' internal affairs and their officials' relationships with employers. -
Civil Rights Act
Is a landmark civil rights and US labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It ended unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, at the workplace and by facilities that served the general public (known as "public accommodations"). -
OSHA Act
The primary law covering worker safety is the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970. The primary goal of this law is to reduce workplace hazards and implement safety and health programs for both employers and their employees. -
Homestead strike
Also known as the Homestead Steel Strike, Pinkerton Rebellion, or Homestead Massacre, was an industrial lockout and strike which began on June 30, 1892, culminating in a battle between strikers and private security agents on July 6, 1892. The final result was a major defeat for the union and a setback for their efforts to unionize steelworkers. -
NAFTA
Is an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. -
Coxey's Army
Was a protest march by unemployed workers from the United States, led by Ohio businessman Jacob Coxey. They marched on Washington D.C. in 1894, the second year of a four-year economic depression that was the worst in United States history to that time.