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Great Southwest Railroad Strike
The Great Southwest Railroad Strike began when the Union, Knights of Labor, felt as if they had unsafe working conditions and unfair hours and pay. Unfortunately, this did not help out unions because the strike failed and therefore the Knights of Labor union ended. However, even though the strike wasn't successful, it was one of the first union strikes. -
Homestead Strike
The Homestead Strike, which took place in Pennsylvania, was a strike against Carnegie's steel company. When Henry Frick created new demands, the workers did not agree to follow them. Instead, they decided to go on strike until they got the higher wages that they asked for. This relates to the labor movement because this was before unions were allowed and there was no laws set protecting the workers yet. -
Anthracite Coal Strike
This strike was by the United Mine workers wanting higher wages, shorter hours, and recognition of their union. The strike caused businesses and schools to shut down because they did not have coal for their heating. The ACS had a positive outcome and the workers got a 10% raise. This is big for unions due to the strike being successful and the workers winning against the employers. -
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World War I
During WWI, labor unions had to agree not to strike because it would have stopped production and hurt the war. This hurt unions since they had been growing up to this point, but then they had to agree to stop. Basically, the labor union movement was put on pause during WWI. -
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The Great Depression
The Great Depression was a worldwide economic decrease. Leading up the the Great Depression, unions had failed. However, after the Great Depression, unions had a positive outlook and growth. Around this time is when the laws protecting unions were created. -
Norris-LaGuardia Act
The Norris-LaGuardia Act is a law that affected unions in a positive way. This act prevented firms from hiring only workers who agreed to not join a union. This is important because workers could be a part of the union and not lose their job, which was what happened before this law was made. The Norris-LaGuardia Act was created to protect workers and let them be a part of a union if they wished to do so. -
National Labor Relations Act
The National Labor Relations Act is was what created unions. This act gives workers the legal right to form unions and requires employers to bargain over wages, hours, and working conditions. The NLRA is big for unions and affected them positively because this act was the start to unions. Without the NLRA, we would not be allowed to have unions. -
Fair Labor Standards Act
The Fair Labor Standards Act affected unions in a positive way. This act created the first federal minimum wage (which was 25 cents an hour), placed restrictions on child labor, and established over time pay. This was big for unions because the whole idea of a union was for workers to fight for these types of fixes. This really lets the workers negotiate with their employers about the terms and conditions of employment. -
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World War II
WWII did not stop the labor union movement. Since unions were growing, unlike WWI, they were not going to stop the growth. They continued to strike during 1941 which really helped the union movement. However, these actions cut defense protection by 25%. While the strikes may have been helpful for labor unions, they hurt the United States overall. -
UPS Workers Strike
The UPS strike was the biggest strike in the 1990s. UPS workers wanted full time jobs and higher wages. Not only was there 185,000 strikers, but the UPS strike had public support and had their demands met. This strike is important because it's modern day and proves that unions still have a say.
