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Knights of Labor founded
Uriah Stephens forms the Knights of Labor. They are ale to organize workers around the country under the radar of management. Amongst first labor organizers. -
HayMarket Riot
Labor rally at the HayMarket square in Chicago. Trying to get 8 hour work days. Everything goes bad when a bomb is tossed at the police who then fire into the crowd. Creates a bad image of labor movements. -
Sherman Anti-Trust act passed
Congress passes this act to prevent business monopolies. It is used effectively by emloyers against unions. -
HomeStead Strike
Lockout at Homstead Steel Works turns violent after 300 Pinkerton detectives get attacked and a small battle is the results. Seven Pinkertons and eleven union members are killed. Court injunctions help crush this union safeguarding the steel industry from organized labor for decades. -
Pullman Strike
Union workers walk out of factory of th Pullman factory. The company was good to them but the strike ends in total defeat. -
ILGWU strike
The International Ladies Garment Workers demands a 20 percent pay raise and 52 hour work weeks. 20,000 workers walk out of 500 factories. It is successful and is the largest labor movement by women in history. -
Gompers Dies
Samuel Gompers, the most influential of the early labor leaders dies at age 74. -
Taft-Hartley Act
Established guidelines to correct unions unfair labor practices. -
Kennedy Legalizes Public Employee Unions
Law allowing federal employees to organize, joinn unions, and bargain collectively with the government. They cannot strike though. This move begins an era of public employee unionization. -
Equal Pay Act
Prohibits discrimination in wages on the basis of sex. -
Postal Strike
More than 200,000 post workers walk off the job. It is the first strike of public employees and it is successful by leading to the modernization of the postal service.
