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The National Trades Union
The first national union -
Commonwealth c. Hunt
This court case is where the Massachusetts court ruled that unions were legal. -
Knights of Labour
The first major union that was founed by Uriah Stephens, a Philidelphia tailor. By 1879, its membership of nine thousand included women, African-Americans, and immigrants, both skilled and unskilled. By 1886, they boasted a membership of seven hundred thousand. They won several important strikes, but their influence declined after they were blamed for killing seven police officers who attempted to break up the meeting in Haymarket Squear, Chicago. -
The American Federation of Labor
Founded by Samuel Gompers, organized skilled workers by crafts. They fought for higherwages, shorter hours, and improved working conditions through collective bargaining. -
Haymarket Riots
During Chicago's Haymarket Riots, in which striking McCormick Harvester Workers clashed with police, four strikers were killed -
United mine workers
Was founded to improve wages and working conditions of coal mine workers. -
The Homestead Strike
Steel workers in Homestead, Pennsylvania struck against the Carnegie Steel plant becuase the company had reduced wages. It became violent when the steel company would hire private police strike breakers. In the ensuing confrontation, nine strikers even seven police officers were killed. -
American Railway Union
Railroad fireman Eugene V. Debs founded this -
Pullman Company
The workers at Pullman Company, which manufactured sleeping and dining cars, went on strike because their wages had been cut. Acting out of sympathy for the pullman workers, conductors and engineers of the American Railway Union refused to handle trains with Pullman cars attached. A federal judge ordered the strikers back to work, and when they refused, President Grover Cleveland sent in federal troups. The ensuing violence turned public opinion against the strikers, and their president. -
The International Workers of the World
Was organized for unskilled workers and immigrants, advocated one large national union that would use strikes and sabotage to achieve its goals as opposed to the more peaceful American Federation of Labor. -
Clayton Act
When passed, it allowed picketing and limited the use of injunctions in labor disputes. -
The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
Created by Philip Randolph -
National Labor Relations Act
It protected the rights of workers to organize and elect representatives for collective bargaining. Also in this year, the CIO, Congrass of Industrial Organization, was formed by several AFL unions to promote unionism in industry. -
Fair Labor Standards Act
Established a minimum wage(Twenty-five cents an hour) and time and a half for over forty hours of work a week. -
Fair Labor Act
Prohibited child labor -
AFL and CIO
This is the year it merged -
Air Traffic Controllers
President Ronald Reagan hired 11,500 air traffic controllers for striking in violation of a no-strike clause in their contract
