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First Work Strikes
Philadelphia's Journeymen Cordwainers became the first union to be convicted of engaging in a criminal conspiracy when it went on strike against master craftsmen and city entrepreneurs in 1806. From these beginnings, Pennsylvania workers continued to seek protection of their jobs and benefits through unions. -
More Work Strikes
Children employed in the silk mills in Paterson, NJ went on strike because they felt the work day needed to be reduced from the 11 hour day, 6 days a week format that it was. -
Commonwealth V. Hunt
Rulings made by the Massachusetts Supreme Judical Court on labor unions, Chief Justice Lemuel Shaw ruled that organizations have the right to organize a strike. Before this ruling any employee who went on strike would be charged with conspiricy. -
End of Slavery
The 13th Amendment to the U.S. constitution is passed and ends slavery. -
8 Hour Days
First day the federal passed 8 hour day comes into effect, this mostly applies for hard labor workers employed by the government. -
First Labor Day
Celebration of the first labor day, 10,000 people participated at the parade in New York City. -
Worst Mining Disaster
In Monongah, West Virginia, 361 miners died when shafts 6 and 8 of a Consolidated Coal Company mine exploded, the explosion is believed to have been caused by methane gas. -
National War Labor Board Act
Its purpose was to arbitrate disputes between workers and employers in order to ensure labor reliability and productivity during the war. -
No Discriminating
This required all employers to bargain collectively and to not discriminate on their employees for joining a union. -
Anti-Injunction Act
Norris-LaGuardia Act (Anti-Injunction Act) passes, which prohibited some federal injunctions and threw out the "yellow-dog" contracts which were contracts saying the employee wouldnt join the union. -
Benefits
The Walsh-Healey Act sets safety standards, minimum wage, overtime pay and child labor provisions on all federal contracts. This is assuring to the citizens that they are getting treated more fairly. -
Wage and Hour Established
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); established Wage and Hour Division.The Division is responsible for the administration and enforcement of most laws which collectively cover all private and State and local government employment. -
“Word Has Just Been Received”
In the spring of 1946, both coal miners and railroad workers staged nationwide strikes. President Harry Truman decided that after the workers rejected the settlement proposed that the govenment would take over the railroads and just before he was set to give the speech, he was told the railroad workers accept the proposal. -
The Taft–Hartley Act
The Taft–Hartley Act is passed and it is used mostly to monitor the activity and power of labor unions. This limits strength of labor unions and gives equal balance to employee and employer. -
The Family and Medical Leave Act
The Family and Medical Leave Act is passed and grants employees the right to leave work and care for family or children under the right circumstances, this also incudes pregnancy and military duty.
