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National labor union created
The NLU unlike most unions did not restrict membership to workers in specific jobs but was open to any workers. This was the first union in the US but it fell apart before making any real progress. -
Great railroad strike of 1877
Although this uprising was not directly relate to any labor unions it did have a major effect on what the future unions would go through. Many states made conspiracy statutes and formed new malitias. National gaurd armories were also built is several cities. -
Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions formed
This was a orgonization that wanted to free unions from political orgonizations. They helped to reoganized the cigaar makers union and have it run like a business. -
Haymarket Affair
This started as a peaceful rally for eight hour work days and in response to police killing several workers the previus day. Things turned violent when police came to brake up the rally and an unknown worker threw a dinamite bomb into the crowd. The explosion and resulting gun fire left 7 police officers and 4 civilians dead with many more wounded. -
Sherman Antitrust Act
This law made an restraint of commerce across state lines illegal. This law was made to stop Business cartels and monopolies but not to stop unions. However, the courts ruled that boycotts and strikes fell under this law. -
Railroad Shop Workers Strike of 1922
In 1922 the railroad labor board anounced that the pay of railroad shop workers would be cut by 7 cents. So 400,000 workers from several unions went on strike. The the RLB responded by highering nonunion workers to replace them. Once the strike went on for a while U.S. Attorney General Harry Daugherty convinced a federal judge to ban all stike related activities. The union realizing that this would put an end to their efforts settled on a 5 cent pay cut and went back to work. -
Textile Workers Strike of 1934
On labor day 1934 400,000 textile workers walked out do to years of low wages and long hours. The walkout lasted just over 20 days before lack of outside support and an excess of textile materials forced them to end it without the origonal demands being met. -
Wagner Act of 1935
This act shifted the support of the law from business to the workers. It gave unions the right to organize workers without being harassed or intimidated by employers. -
Taft-Hartley Act
This act countered several of the rights that the unions had gained from the Wagner act. For one, it baned closed shop businesses, where a business will only hire union members.
