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National Labor Union
The National Labor Union came about in 1866 with hopes to improve working conditions for laborers. It was led by William Sylvis. This union called for an eight hour day, an end to convict labor, and restrictions on immigrants entering America. They did not want these immigrants coming in and taking their jobs for cheaper pay. -
There are no notable Labor Union dates prior to the National Labor Union
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The National Grange of Patrons of Husbandry (The Grange)
First leader was Oliver H. Kelley
Started off as a group just to organize social gatherings for famers.
Established cooperatives (stores jointly owned by farmers where they would pool their crops to eliminate the middle man)
Went into politics but most of their "Granger Laws" were badly drawn
Organization faded after judicial reverses in the Supreme Court, especially Wabash v, Illinois -
Knights of Labor
The Knights of Labor organization formed in 1869 and it was led by Uriah Stephens and then Terrance Powderly. It consisted of unskilled/skilled, black/white men and women. They supported temperance, equal pay for women, an end to convict labor, and a graduated income tax. The Knights of Labor knew not to strike because they would be lost when the government got involved so they tried to pass laws instead. They helped pass the Chinese Exclusion Act but died off from the Haymarket Square Incident. -
Socialist Labor party
This party had an influence in organizing unions among foreign workers. Jewish socialists organized and put out newspapers. Germans along with radicals formed social revolutionary clubs. Made a manifesto about equal rights for all without distinction to sex or race. -
1877 Strike
The 1877 Strike was a famous nationwide railroad strike. The angry strikers revolted because their wages were cut twice and they were suffering greatly. Because so many angry strikers revolted, the government had to send in forces to stop them. Because the soldiers did not want to physically harm them, the President sent in federal troops. The strikers ended up losing. -
The Farmers' Alliance
Founded in the Late 1870s
They wanted: graduated income tax, cooperatives, irrigation research, low tariff, gov. owned warehouses, nationalize railroads, abolish national banks, and create a new federal subtreasury
Focused attention on land owners and excluded blacks
Colored Farmers' National Alliance formed in 1880s
Began electing politicians and eventually led to the Populist Party -
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor or AF of L only allowed skilled white workers to join this organization because they felt they had better bargaining skills. The AF of L was led by Samuel Gompers and they were not interested in helping blacks or women; they ended up supporting the idea of an 8 hour day. This organization lasted until 1955 and was significant because it brought together labor unions and was very strategic in its tactics. -
Haymarket Square Affair
This was a very important event dealing with the laborers. When the laborers were striking at the Haymarket Square in Chicago, a bomb was thrown into the middle of the chaos. Gunfire followed and 8 police men were killed. This gave the police a chance to hang, arrest, or blacklist the strikers. 8 anarchists were tried for murder and 4 men were actually executed. No one knows who actually threw the bomb and in the end, this incident caused the Knights of Labor to die out. -
Populist (People's) Party
Came from the Farmers' Alliance
Platform: unlimited coinage of silver, no gold standard, direct election of senators, graduated income tax, low tariff, and limit on foreign labor
Ran first presidential candiate in election of 1892- James Weaver who won 4 states
Racial acceptance untill 1896 when party lapsed into racism -
The Homestead Strike
Located at Andrew Carnegie's Homestead steel plant near Pittsburg
Steal workers were angry over pay cuts. 300 armed Pinkerton detectives sent to crush stirke. Battle insued where ten people were killed and around sixty wounded. Troops were then sent in and the strike and the union were broken. -
Coeur d'Alene District Strike
Part of the great number of nationwide strikes in the summer of 1892
Located in Idaho's Coeur d'Alene district
Federal troops sent in to crush a strike by silver miners -
Pullman Strike
Led by Eugene V. Debs leader of the American Railway Union at the time.
The Pullman Palace Car Company had been hit by the depression at the time and as a result cut back wages.
The governor of Illinois did not believe the strike was that serious. Attorney General Richard Olney and President Cleveland said that it was disrupting the delivery of the mail and must be crushed, so federal troops were sent in. Labor unions began to think the gov. and employeres were out to shut labor unions down. -
Progressivism in the early 1900s
They got their roots in the Greenback Labor Party and the Populisr Party. They used the government as an agency of human welfare. They fought agaisnt monopoly, corruption, inefficiency and social injustice. They believed in the laborer's rights in the workplace to be treated fairly and work in good conditions. -
The Workers Union Strike of 1902
The Workers Union, which consisted of laborers, but in this particular case, coal miners. The Workers Union wanted a 20% pay increase and a reduction of work hours from 10 to 9 hours. This strike was one of the most significant strikes because when coal began to decrease, T.R decided to threaten the coal leaders, rather than the actual strikers. He threatened that he would use federal troops to operate the mines. As a result, the workers were given a 10% increase and a 9 hour work day. -
Lochner vs. New York
This case was not a victory for labor rights. It invalidated a New York law establishing a ten-hour work day for bakers. -
Muller vs. Oregon
In this landmark case attorney Louis D. Brandeis was able to persuade the Supreme Court to accept the constitutionality of laws that protected women workers -
Clayton Anti-Trust Act
This act was meant to make it so trusts could be broken up by strengthening the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. It fixed a flaw in the Sherman Anti-Trust Act by exempting labor unions from being called trusts so unions could not be prosecuted under it like they were under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act . It also legalized strikes and peaceful picketing by labor union members. -
Workingmen's Compensation Act
This Act granted assistance of federal civil service employees during periods of instability but was eventually invalidated bu the Supreme Court. -
Adamson Act
This Act established an eight hour workday and overtime pay for interstate railroad workers. -
National War Labor Board
This Board was set up during WWI and headed by William H. Taft. It was set up to settle any possible labor disputes that might hinder the war efforts. Laborers wages went up to ensure that there would be no strikes and more laborers joined unions. -
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)
This was a radical union that antiwar socialsits joined during WWI. Their leader was William D. Haywood. Haywood along with other members of this union were arrested, convicted, and sent to prison under the Espionage Act of 1917 for their socialistsand antiwar views. -
Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)
The WCTU was founded by Francis Willard in 1874. This union pushed for prohibition and was well-organized and well-financed. They were very successful and had one million women join. The WCTU would sing, pray, and urge saloons to stop selling alcohol. many states became "dry," alcohol-free. The women were succesful because in 1919 the 18th Ammendment was created banning alcohol. -
Steelworkers strike of 1919
Even though WWI helped the lesson strikes, many still borke out during ans right after the war. During this strike the steelworkers were afraid of inflation eclipsing their wage gains so 250,000 workers walked off the job. The steel owners brought in 30,000 African Americans to break the strike. In the end, the strike collapsed, hurting the labor cause for more than a decade. -
Adkins vs. Children's Hospital
In this court case in the 1920s, the Supreme Court reversed its ruling in Muller vs. Oregon by invalidating a minimum wage law for women. The court said that women do not deserve special protection under the law. -
Railway Labor Board Cuts Laborer's Wages
A two month strike broke out when the Railway Labor Board cut laborer's wages 12%. This outraged the labor unions and a two-month strike broke out. Attorney General Daugherty was called in to crush the strike. This mess of labor unions caused the labor union enrollment to drop 30%. -
The Election of 1924
The Election of 1924 also dealt with labor unions. The Progressive Party still stuck around and nominated Robert La Follette. His support not only came from socialists, but a portion of his support came from the AF of L labor union. -
Norris-La Guardia Anti-Injunction Act
During the 1920's, if the economy was prospering; labor unions suffered. If the economy struggled; labor unions thrived. In 1932, when the economy was suffering, the government passed the Norris-La Guardia Anti-Injunction Act which outlawed anti-union contracts, 'yellow dog contracts." This forced workers to sign contracts to not join a union. Also, this act stated that federal courts could not stop strikes, boycotts, or peaceful protesting. -
National Recovery Administration (NRA)
The goal of this organization was to help labor, industry, and unemployment. Here, maximum work hours and a minimum wage was created. Labor Unions were allowed to organize and collectively bargain. Also, yellow-dog contracts were forbidden. The NRA helped labor unions. -
National Labor Relations Act: the Wagner Act AND the CIO
This act was created due to a tremendous amount of labor strikes in 1934. Because the NRA was declared unconstitutional, this act replaced that act and guarenteed the right for labor unions to organize and collectively bargain. This allowed unskilled workers to organize, when before they were not allowed too. John L Lewis created the CIO to include unskilled laborers. The CIO was successul in a sit-down-strike against General Motors. -
Memorial Day Massacre
This was at the plant of the Republic Steel Company of South Chicago in which police fired upon workers, leaving many killed or ijured. This strike happened in response to the CIOs victory against the United States Steel Company. -
Fair Labor Standards Act
This act also benifited the labor unions. It set a minimum wage, maximum working hours, and forbade children under 16 from working. These were set rules under this act and as a result, labor unions began to love FDR. -
The New CIO
In 1938, the CIO broke completely with the AF of L and renamed itself the Congress of Industrial Organizations (the new CIO). -
Smith-Connally Anti-Strike Act
As WWII was on its way, America did not want to deal with labor union strikes. Congress passed this act that allowed the federal government to seize and run industries that were ruined by strikes. This allowed the industry to stay focused on the war and what America needed to get done. -
Operation Dixie
This was an unsuccessful attempt for labor unions when they tried to move to the south and west. The reason this movement was unsuccessful was because labor unions are group oriented and the lifestyle in the west and south is more individualistic and hard working. Also, it would be very difficult to unionize the south and west which is very spread out and not organized. -
Taft-Hartley Act
Because America began to come out of the depression and began to suceed during WWII, labor unions again began to cripple. Labor Unions created "closed shops" which wereshops that were closed to anyone who was not in a labor union. In the Taft-Hartley Act, congress banned these "closed shops" and made labor unions liable for the damages they made. This act also made labor union leaders sign a non-communist oath. -
Labor Unions in the 1950's
In 1956 the number of "white-collar" workers for the first time outnumbered "blue-collar" workers. This signal the passing from the industrial to a postindustrial era. With this trasformation, organzied labor went down with the the decline of the industries. Union membership peaked in 1954 with 35% and then steadily declined. -
AF of L and CIO merge
These two labor union groups merged in 1955 to end twenty years of bitter division in labor unions. -
Scandal in Teamsters Union
Teamster cheif "Dave" Beck was sent to prison for embezzlement in 1957 and his sucessor, James R. Hoffa's, appoitment to chief got the Teamsters expelled out of the AF of L-CIO. -
Landrum-Griffin Act
This act was designed to bring labor leaders to book for financial shenanigans and prevent bullying tactics. Anti-laborites forced into the bill bans against "secondary boycotss" and certain types of picketing. -
Nixon's Philidelphia Plan
This controversal plan dealt with the blacks in the work force. Trade unions were required to "set goals and timetables" for hiring blacks. This plan was extended to all federal contracts so in the end businesses had to hire a quota of minoritites. -
Griggs v. Duke Power Co.
This court case concerned employment discrimination and was decided on March 8, 1971. The court ruled that the companies employment requirements did not impact on an applicants ability to perform the job, and so was discriminating against African-American employees. This case was held after the controversy of the Philidelphia Plan by Nixon and congress was in favor of Nixon.
