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Noble Order of the Knights of Labor
This labor union was established by Philadelphia garment workers. Farmers, merchants, and wage earners were all allowed to join the union. The objectives of the Noble Order of the Knights of Labor were to equalize pay for equal work, to abolish child labor, and to reduce the work day to only eight hours. -
Labor Day Holiday
This was the first day that the Labor Day holiday was celebrated; however, it was not an official holiday until several years later. Labor Day was created because of the labor movement taking place in the late 1800s, and is dedicated to the achievements of American workers. Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday of September, and recognizes the many people in the USA work force. -
American Federation of Labor
The AFL was organized to unite craft-oriented workers together in fighting for what they wanted. They focused on better working conditions, and better pay for all workers. Along with these things, they fought to get union labels on producted items. -
Haymarket Square Riot
This was an eight hour protest held in Chicago by many workers at McCormick. The police came to break up the strike, but then an unknown person threw a dynamite bomb at them, which led to gunfire that killed eight police officers, along with several civilians. The anarchists were blamed for the violence, and this resulted in the public seeing unions as a problem. -
"How the Other Half Lives"
"How the Other Half Lives" by Jacob Riis originally started as a article, with many pictures, depicting how the poor people of New York City lived in their tenements. Later, Riis decided to write a full book about the conditions of the slums. Some of the things he described in the book were how cramped the apartments were, the darkness and uncleanliness of the living quarters, and the extreme poverty of all the people. -
The Homestead Strike
The dispute occurred between the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers, and the Carnegie Steel Company, and the strike took place in Homestead, Pennsylvania, at the Homestead Steel Works. The industrial lockout and strike began on June 30, and the final battle occurred on July 6th. This is considered to be one of the most serious disputes in labor history. -
The Pullman Strike
The workers of George M. Pullman's company lived in a company town, and when he slashed the wages in 1893, he did not lower the rent rates. Therefore, they decided to strike, led by Eugene V. Debs. The strike was partially successful, because workers in 27 states went on strike, which meant that there was absolutely no transportation from Chicago to the West Coast. But the strike came to an end when President Cleveland sent troops to break it up, and the union leader, Debs, was arrested. -
The Coal Strike
The Coal Strike of 1902 was organized by the United Mine Workers of America in the fields of eastern Pennsylvania. President Roosevelt became involved and suspended the strike, because it threatened to shut down the winter coal supply. The strike never resumed, and the miners were successful because they got more pay and fewer hours; the owners got a higher price for coal. This was the first strike that the federal government stepped in as a neutral party. -
"The Jungle"
"The Jungle", a book by Upton Sinclair, described the conditions of the meat packing industry in Chicago. The author published this book to let the public know about everything that was happening in the meat factories, and how gross it was. After the novel was published, the Pure Food and Drug Act was passed, and many factories that processed food improved their standards so they would be able to pass the inspections that were now required by federal law. -
"The Bitter Cry of Children"
This book, by John Spargo, exposed the coal mining industry in a very negative way. It revealed the conditions the young boys had to work in every day, for long hours, and their hardships, both at and away from the job. By reading this book, the public learned of the way the coal miners worked; they stayed in the same position all day, sifting through the coal, cutting and bruising their hands, and never getting an education of any kind. -
Pure Food and Drug Act
The United States passed a federal law that stated all meat products and medicines would have to be inspected. But more than that, they would all have to be inspected by the FBA. This was done to prevent the manufacture, sale, and transportation of poisonous drugs or food. -
Triangle Shirt Factory Fire
This factory fire killed 146 garment workers of the Triangle Waist Company, which occupied floors eight, nine, and ten of the Asch Building in New York, Many of these people died because the managers locked the doors to the stairwells and exits. Because of this fire, legislation requiring the improvement of factory safety standards was passed. -
Congress of Industrial Organizations
The Congress of Industrial Organizations was a part of the AFL until 1935. They decided to break away because they promoted organization of industrial workers, rather than craft workers. In 1955, they rejoined the AFL, and they are still united today. -
The National Labor Relations Act
The National Labor Relations Act was pro labor, and recognized labor's right to organize legally. This act is sometimes referred to as the Wagner Act, and created the National Labor Relations Board. The act granted the power to punish unfair labor practices to the board. -
GM Sit-down Strike
This strike by General Motors employees was one of the first sit-down strikes in the country. The workers still went to work, but while there, they did not do anything. This type of strike is effective, because it prevents work from getting down inside the factories, and it earns attention from the public. President Roosevelt persuaded GM's management to talk to the leaders of the UAW to find a way to end the strike. The deal was that the workers were able to participate in running GM. -
Fair Labor Standards Act
This law, that President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into effect, set a minimum age of employment. Also, this act provided that the hours of work for children were regulated by law, as well as setting a minimum wage of 25 cents. This was the first time many of these things were managed by the federal government. -
Steel Strike
This strike by the United Steelworkers of America against U.S. Steel and other steelmakers was scheduled to begin on April 9, but President Truman nationalized the American steel industry before the workers could strike. The companies sued to regain control, and the court ruled that the President didn't have the authority to take over the facilities. Then the steelworkers struck for a wage increase; the strike lasted 53 days, ending on July 24, 1952, on the same terms the union had proposed. -
Major League Baseball Strike
This was the very first player's strike in history, and occurred from April 1 to April 13. The playing of baseball resumed when the players and owners agreed on a half million dollar increase in pension, and an increase in salaries of players. The 86 games that were missed were never played because the league refused to allow it, as they didn't want to pay the players for going on strike. -
New York City Transit Strike
The strike began on 3:00 on December 20, and was done by the Transport Workers Union Local 100. They struck because negiotiations with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority broke down over wages, retirement, and pension disputes. The strike was successful because almost all of the NYC Transit Authority personnel observed the strike, so the public transportation through New York City was stopped, and it affected millions of commuters. The strike ended at 2:35 pm on December 22.
