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Gompers Founds AFL
In the wake of the Haymarket Incident labor organizer Samuel Gompers founds the American Federation of Labor. This was a collection of trade unions that played a major role in labor movements throughout the following century. -
Haymarket Riot
Labor rally at Haymarket square was organized by labor activists. The rally turned violent however when one of the activists threw a bomb at a group of Chicago police officers who were sent to disperse the crowd. Seven police officers and one civilian died and many others were injured in the violence that day. It is seen to many as a setback for the organized labor movement in America however to some they were seen as martyrs. -
Sherman Antitrust act
The Sherman Antitrust act was passed in order to prevent businesses from having monopolies. It was also used effectively however by employers who were against unions. -
Homestead Strike
The homestead strike was a battle between the workers at the Carnegie Steel company in Homestead, Pennsylvania and the Pinkerton army. It started when Frick, the man that Carnegie sent to handle the strike decided to bring in the Pinkertons as a scare tactic and shots were fired. At the end of the day 11 of the men on strike were either killed or wounded and 2 pinkertons died and 12 were wounded. -
Anti Labor Injunction
Federal court issues the first injunction against a union under the sherman antitrust act. This case gave employers a huge legal weapon when it came to battling with unions. -
Ludlow Massacre
Ludlow was the single deadliest incident involved in the Colorado Coal strike. It was a battle of a tent colony of 1200 coal miners and the Colorado national guard and guards from the Colorado fuel and ion company. The results were the deaths of 25 people including the miners wives and children. The chief owner of the mine John D. Rockefeller Jr. was widely criticized for the incident. -
Battle of Blair Mountain
The battle of Blair Mountain was the largest labor uprising in United States history. The battle included 10,000 armed coal miners and 3000 lawmen and strikebreakers in an attempt to unionize the southwest West Virginia coal fields. The battle ended after one million shots were fired and the U.S. army intervened by presidential orders. -
Norris- LaGuardia act
The Norris- LaGuardia act of 1932 made it illegal for workers to pledge not to join a union, which was also known as a yellow dog contract. Additionally it further restricted the use of court injunctions in the cases of strikes, picketing and boycotts. -
National Labor Relations Act
The National Labor Relations Act of 1935, also known as the Wagner act gave unions the right to organize workers without being harassed or intimidated by their employers. It also established a notional labor relations board which ensured that any elections that decided if a union should be organized were fair. -
Fair Labor Standards act
The federal minimum wage was instituted. Which was at this time $.25 per hour. The act also stated that any hours after 40 per week was time and a half. Additionally the act restricted dangerous child labor.
