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Noble Order of the Knights of Labor formed
It was organized by Philadelphia garment workers in 1869. Opened to farmers, merchants, and wage earner. The objectives were equal pay for equal work, abolition of child labor, and a 8 hour work day. -
American Federation of Labor (AFL) formed
It focused on better working conditions and better pay. They had union labels on produced items. They were also craft oriented. -
Haymarket Square Riot
The workers in Chicago march for an 8 hr day- protest McComick Harvesting machine. Police came to break up the strike and 8 policemen died and hundreds injured. Anarchists (anti-govt) blamed for violence and the public saw unions and anarchists as a problem. -
Labor Day holiday created
The Knights of Labor inaugurated the Labor Day holiday in 1882. Early legislation enacting Labor Day came from the states, led by New York and Oregon. In 1894, Congress passed the act which made the first Monday in September of each year a holiday. This holiday shows respect to the hard labor that workers endured. -
"How the Other Half Lives" written
It studies among the Tenements of New York . An early publication of photojournalism by Jacob Riis. "How the Other Half Lives" documented living conditions in New York City slums during the 1880's. -
The Homestead Strike
An industrial lockout and strike that began on June 30, 1892, culminating in a battle between strikers and private security agents on July 6, 1892. It was one of the most serious disputes in U.S. labor history. The dispute occurred at the Homestead Steel Works in the Pittsburgh area town of Homestead, Pennsylvania. The final result was a major defeat for the union, and a setback for efforts to unionize steelworkers. -
The Pullman Strike
George M. Pullman's company built the town Pullman so that workers could rent homes from him. Rents were high and wages were slashed due to the Panic of 1893 (depression) so Pullman refused to lower rents. Workers went on strike which was led by Eugene V. Debs. Within day, thousands of railroad workers in 27 states/territories went on strike which meant no transportation from Chicago to the West Coast. Union leaders were then arrested and imprisoned. The strike then collapsed. -
The Coal Strike
A strike by the United Mine Workers of America in the anthracite coal fields of eastern Pennsylvania. The strike threatened to shut down the winter fuel supply to all major cities. President Theodore Roosevelt became involved and set up a factfinding commission that suspended the strike. The strike never resumed and the miners recieved more pay for fewer hours and the owners got a higher price for coal. This was considered the first labor episode and neutral arbitrator. -
"The Jungle" written
The mudracker, Upton Sinclair published The Jungle in 1905 to expose labor abuses in the meat packing industry. He described the filthy conditions of the meat packing industry in Chicago during the Progressive Era. Sinclair's descriptions of the industry led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act, not to labor legislation. -
"The Bitter Cry of Children" written
John Spargo's 1906, The Bitter Cry of the Children exposed hardships. These hardships were suffered by child laborers, such as these coal miners. John Spargo found the work of the breaker boys so difficult because they were crouched over the chutes hour after hour and were in cramped positions and had accidents to the hands. -
Pure Food and Drug Act passed
The Pure Food and Drug Act of June 30, 1906. The United States federal law that provided federal inspection of meat products. It also forbade the maufacture, sale, or transportation of adulterated food products and poisonous patent medicines. -
Triangle Shirt Factory Fire
This fire was one of the worst disasters since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. It claimed the lives of 146 young immigrant workers. The tragedy still dwells in the memory of the nation and the international labor movement. -
Congress of Industrial Organization formed
The Congress of Industrial Organization was part of the American Federation of Labor until 1935. The Congress broke away because it advocated organization along industrial lines rather than craft lines. It finally reintegrated into American Federation of Labor in 1955. -
The National Labor Relations Act passed
Pro Labor was invovled in this Act. It is the labor's right to organize and be legally recognized. It has the power to punish unfair labor practices. The National Labor Relations Board was created. -
GM Sit-down Strike
A strike by General Motors employees that shut down plant operations in Flint, Michigan, and other cities. The action against GM brought the tactic of sit-down strikes and their effectiveness to the attention of the general public. President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressured the GM management to talk with the UAW leaders and to find a way to end the strike. -
Fair Labor Standards Act passed
In 1938, the Federal regulation of child labor was achieved in the Fair Labor Standards Act. Minimum ages of employment are regulated. Minimum hours of work for children are also regulated by federal law. -
Steel Strike
A strike led by the United Steelworkers of America against U.S. Steel and nine other steelmakers. President Harry S. Truman nationalized the American steel industry hours before the workers walked out which delayed the scheduled strike to begin on April, 9th. The Steelworkers struck in order to win a wage increase. The strike lasted 53 days on the same terms the union had proposed four months earlier. -
Major League Baseball Strike
It was the first players' strike in the Major League Baseball History. Baseball resumed when the owners and players agreed on a $500,000 increase in pension fund payments. The 86 games that were missed over the 13-day strike period were never played because the league refused to pay the players during that time. -
New York City Transit Strike
It was a strike in New York City called by the Transport Workers Union Local 100. Most New York City Transit Authority personnel observed the strike, effectively halting all service on the subway and buses. It also affected millions of commuters. The strike officially ended on December 22, 2005 and services were restored overnight.
