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Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers
The first trade union in America was created in Philadelphia. Apparently they weren't as big out in the country, due to slave labor. But in the cities it caught on, because working conditions sucked almost everywhere and people needed a way to fight back. This particular union would go through some controversy in 1805, dealing with a conspiracy set in motion by the union leaders. But this is the first big union in the U.S. -
Lowell Mill Workers Strike
In Lowell Massachusetts, mill workers were forced to work 13-hour days. When their bosses decided to cut their wages, the women organized a strike. Nothing directly came of it, and the same can be said for the second strike they did in 1836. But these strikes paved the way for the first working women union in the U.S. Between that and the boost it gave the suffrage movement, the strike was a success. -
Great Southwest Railroad Strike
Dissatisfied with their pay, work conditions and hours, over 200,000 railroad workers went on strike in 1886. A group called the Knights of Labor led the effort. In the end, they were no match for their boss Jay Gould. He just hired nonunion railroad workers to fill their places. -
Battle of Cripple Creek
Gold was found near what became the town of Cripple Creek, which led to the creation of over 150 gold mines. The miners created a union and banded together to fight the mine owners, who tried to make the miners work extra without extra pay. The union refused, and fought back when the mine owners hired gunmen to scare them. Eventually the situation was peacefully resolved in the miners' favor. Without the union, there is no way the miners could have won. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
In New York there was a factory where about 500 women worked nonstop on the upper levels. They were locked in to prevent them leaving to use the restroom. A fire broke out and the fire department's ladders were too short to reach the tenth level. After this working conditions and worker safety had to be accounted for. If they had had a union to start with, they could have fought back before that day and saved quite a few lives. -
Ludlow Massacre in Response to Strike
Workers for the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company were striking in 1914. The company owned their houses and evicted the former workers. A sprawling tent city was set up but thugs (sent by the mining company) attacked it. They opened fire and ended up burning the tent city to the ground, killing 19. Among those dead were women and children. It shows why workers should be able to fight back in ways other than strikes. Unions allow them to enter the political arena. -
Steel Strike of 1919
The AFL helped US Steel Corporation workers in a fight to get shorter hours, better pay, safer working conditions, and the ability to join unions free of harassment. Half of the steel industry ended up being shut down with participant numbers peaking at over 350,000. In response, the company owners attacked their image, saying the unions were communists. At the time, the label caused the public to turn on the strikers. For the next 15 years, there were no unions in the American steel industry. -
Fair Labor Standards Act
FDR set into place the FLSA at the end of the Great Depression. It set a minimum wage, which is now $7.25. Overtime pay was also accounted for, and child labor laws were made much stricter. -
World War 2 Ends
World War Two was the largest armed conflict the world has seen to date. With a war going on, industry boomed. Factories were cranking out war machinery as fast as they possibly could, which meant more jobs in factories. More factory workers meant more union members, and 35% of them were affiliated with a union by the end of the war. -
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
This act by the Nixon administration led to the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration the year after. For decades workers had been operating in highly-unsafe conditions, so the government sought to right that wrong. Businesses were then held accountable for providing a safe work environment. -
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993
Companies who employ 50 or more employees are required to give up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to workers in certain situations. These situations include caring for, having, or adopting a child, as well as caring for a sick relative. Less commonly-used are the 26 workweeks of leave per year for family members that were injured during active military service.
