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Great Southwest Railroad Strike
The Knights of Labor went on strike and were defeated so bad that they were ended as a group. The strike involved around 200,000 workers. Pinkerton agents scared workers back to work. -
Homestead Strike
Workers at Homestead Steel Works went on strike. It resulted in a major loss for the union. This was one of the most serious disputes in US labor history. -
Ludlow Massacre
1,200 coal miners went on strike and were forced out of their homes. They built a tent community right outside the town. It was burned down by the Colorado National Guard and the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company guards. -
World War I
World War I brought women into the work force. Unions gave firm support to war and did everything they could. Wilson established the National War Labor Board in order to make managment and labor unions negotiate. -
Steel Strike
The Steel Strike of 1919 included around 350,000 workers. It was an attempt to group together steel workers during world war I. The strike collapsed and they did not reach their goal. -
The Morris-LaGuardia Act
Employers could no longer prohibit workers from joining unions. It also further restricted the use of court injunctions against strike activity. It was one of the first labor laws supporting organized labor. -
The Wagner Act
The Wagner Act protected the workers right to form unions and strike. The act created the National Labor Relations Board to help protect the workers. It also protects workers from the unfair labor practices of employers. -
World War II
Labor unions gained many people during the roosevelt era. Many laws were passed in favor of unions. Laws such as the New Deal, the Industrial Recovery Act, and the National Labor Relations Act. -
Cold War
When the Cold War started, the US goverment was afraid of there being people in the US that wanted to help Communism spread. They weeded out as many people as they could, including those inside unions. If anyone in a union was ever sypathetic towards communism they were purged. -
Space Race
during the space race unions were not very important, everyone was focused on getting to space. Unions were still helping prepare for the fight against the Soviet Union in an arms race. Cold War was still very threatening. -
Wages and the Fair Labor Standards Act
The FLSA established minimum wage, overtime pay, child work laws and record keeping. This shows that unions have achieved something, gettting minimum wage higher means more pay. Its a great demonstration of the perks of unions.
