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Knights of Labor
Knights of Labor (K of L), officially Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of Labor, was the largest and one of the most important American labor organizations of the 1880s. Its most important leader was Terence V. Powderly -
The 1st Labor Day
Peter J. McGuire, a carpenter and labor union leader, created Labor Day to honor American workers. The day was celebrated with a picnic, concert, and speeches. Then, 10,000 workers marched in a parade from City Hall to Union Square. -
Great Southwest Railroad Strike
The Great Southwest railroad strike of 1886 was a labor union strike involving more than 200,000 workers. Beginning on March 1, 1886, railroad workers in five states struck against the Union Pacific and Missouri Pacific railroads, owned by Jay Gould. At least ten people were killed. The unravelling of the strike within two months led directly to the collapse of the Knights of Labor and the formation of the American Federation of Labor -
Haymarkert Riot
It began as a rally in support of workers striking for an eight-hour day and in reaction to the killing of several workers the previous day by the police. A person threw a dynamite bomb at police as they acted to break up the public meeting. The bomb blast and following gunfire resulted in the deaths of seven police officers and at least four civilians with many others wounded. -
Homestead Strike
Homestead strike. Homestead strike, in U.S. history, a bitterly fought labor dispute. On June 29, 1892, workers belonging to the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers struck the Carnegie Steel Company at Homestead, Pa. to protest a proposed wage cut -
Pullman Strike
The Pullman Strike was a nationwide railroad strike in the United States and a turning point for US labor law. It pitted the American Railway Union against the Pullman Company, the main railroads, and the federal government of the United States under President Grover Cleveland. -
Shirtwaist Factory Fire
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in Manhattan, New York City on was one of the deadliest in US history. The fire killed 146 garment workers because the owners had locked the doors to the stairwells and exits many of the workers could not escape and jumped from the high windows.This led to legislation to require safety standards. -
Samuel Gompers
Samuel Gompers was a American labor union leader and a key figure in American labor history. Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor (AFL), and served as the organization's president from 1886 to 1894 and from 1895 until his death in 1924. -
Textile Workers Strike of 1934
The National Recovery Administration , textile workers across the Southern United States went on strike. Though they had many problems, like long hours and low wages, the lack of labor representation in the NRA’s textile regulatory authority likely started the strike. -
Steel Strike of 1959
Members of the United Steelworkers of America went on strike against the major U.S. steel producers.The strike lasted 116-days.The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) arose from this.
