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The Knights of Labor
It was the largest and one of the most important American labor organizations of the 1880s. The Knights promoted the social and cultural uplift of the workingman, rejected socialism and anarchism, demanded the eight-hour day, and promoted the producers ethic of republicanism. In some cases it acted as a labor union, negotiating with employers, but it was never well organized, and after a rapid expansion in the 1880s, it suddenly lost its new members and became a small operation again. -
The Very First Labor Day
After Canadian workers inspired Peter J. McGuire, he began suggesting a workers parade in NYC. And so the very first Labor Day was held on a Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City. The day was celebrated with a picnic, concert and speeches. Ten thousand workers marched in a parade from City Hall to Union Square. Soon after that first celebration, the holiday was moved to the first Monday in September, the day we still honor. -
Great Southwest Railroad Strike of 1886
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 unraveling 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. -
Haymarket Riot
The Haymarket Riot was the aftermath of a bombing that took place at a labor demonstration on Tuesday May 4, 1886, at Haymarket Square in Chicago. It began as a peaceful 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. An unknown person threw a dynamite bomb at police as they acted to disperse the public meeting. The bomb blast and gunfire that came about from this resulted in many deaths/injuries. -
Oregon Passes 1st State Law for Labor Day Holiday
Oregon became the first state to enact an official recognition of Labor Day on February 21, 1887. The first initiatives began through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. Four more states followed Oregon’s lead that year. By 1890 twenty-three additional states adopted the holiday. The U.S. Congress established the first Monday in September of each year as a national holiday. -
Homestead Strike
The Homestead Strike, also known as the Homestead Steel Strike, Pinkerton Rebellion, or Homestead Massacre, was an industrial lockout and strike, culminating in a battle between strikers and private security agents from the AA and the Carnegie Steel Company. The final result was a major defeat for the union and a setback for their efforts to unionize steelworkers. -
Pullman Strike
Railway workers in Illinois went on strike to protest wage cuts. President Grover Cleveland faced pressure to end the demonstrations, and sent 12,000 troops to end the strike. Violence erupted, and 2 strikers were killed. The violent methods made headlines. After this, Labor Day was made into a national holiday in America. -
1930s General Motors Sit Down Strike
GM workers decided to fight for their rights and do a sit-down protest. After years of workers being mistreated, intimidation from the foremans, and harsh treatment, the workers had enough. Strikes happened across multiple GM plants. Eventually, General Motors turned off the heat in the building, and made it very cold for the workers inside. They sent in the city and the private police force of the company, and began firing off at them. This led to a battle. Eventually, the workers won. -
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938
It is a federal statute of the U.S.. The FLSA introduced the forty-hour work week, established a national minimum wage, guaranteed "time-and-a-half" for overtime in certain jobs, and prohibited most employment of minors in "oppressive child labor", a term that is defined in the statute. It applies to employees engaged in interstate commerce or employed by an enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, unless the employer can claim an exemption from coverage. -
Taft-Hartley Act
The Taft-Hartley Act is a United States federal law that restricts the activities and power of labor unions that still exists to this day. Labor leaders called it the "slave-labor bill". The Taft–Hartley Act was seen as a means of demobilizing the labor movement by imposing limits on labor's ability to strike and by prohibiting radicals from their leadership.
