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Railway Strike Act
During the a depression that happened in the 1870's, the workers of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad went on strike. They went on strike because their pay was cut twice. This strike was extremely violent, resulting in militias having to be called in to assist. -
Haymarket Riot
In Chicago, a riot broke out on Haymarket Square. There was a bombing that resulted in the deaths of 8 people. The riot was started due to the fight for 8-hour workdays and resulted in a setback to the labor union. -
Homestead Strike
The homestead act was a law passed in 1862, that allowed individuals to claim large amounts of land in the west. The strike happened in 1892, when workers for Carnegie's steel operation protested about their wages. -
Pullman Strike
The Pullman Strike took place through the United States, when workers of the railroad protested because of increased hours and pay cut. Eventually, President Cleveland had to step in to resolve the conflict in support of the railroad. The railroad industry temporarily took a toll due to the workers going on strike. -
World War I
World War I ramped up the labor unions. When the war began, the United States was in a recession and the economy was in a hole. During the world war, the government instituted the National War Labor Board to help support the relationship between employers and employees. -
The Prohibition
The Prohibition was a time period in the 19th century when all sale of alcohol was banned in the United States. This resulted in a loss of jobs and the industry involving alcohol completely vanished for a while. The labor union lost jobs and income. -
Railway Labor Act
The Railway Labor Act made it more difficult for railroad workers to go on strike. The act made it so that everyone had to settle disputes without resulting in strikes. It benefitted the labor union because it kept the railroad working continuously without interruptions. -
Norris-LaGuardia Act
This act allowed people to join trade unions. It made it so that the government could not issue injunctions and there would be less interference from employers to workers. The act helped take away violent acts of protest. -
Fair-Labor Standards Act
The FLSA enforces a "fair" pay. With this act, they formed minimum wage. The development of the Fair-Labor Standards Act created minimum wage so that the lowest pay was reasonable and equal everywhere. Helped prevent strikes and helped the labor union keep peace. -
World War II
The second World War benefitted the job force for the United States. During the war, the United States used lots of different industries which resulted in an expansion in the job industry. This helped labor unions by opening up more jobs.