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Noble Order of the Knights of Labor
-Organized by Philidelphia garment workers in 1869.
-Opened to farmers, merchants and wage earners.
- " Equal pay for equal work", " Abolition of Child labor", " 8 hour work day" -
Labor Day
- Created by the Central Labor Union in Boston on August 26, 1878
- It became a federal holiday in 1894, following the sudden death of many workers during the Pullman Strike
- Labor Day is now celebrated every September 5th
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American Federation of Labor ( AFL )
- Organized in 1886
- Focused on better working conditions and better pay
- Union labels on produced items
- Craft oriented
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Haymarket Square Riot
- Workers in Chicago march for an 8- hour day protest
- Policemen broke up the stirke
- Anarchists were blamed for the violence
- 8 Policemen were killed, 100 injured At this point, public saw unions as problems.
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How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis
- How the Other Half Lived is a book written by Muckracker John Riis describing the living conditions of inner city immigrants. The book tells of the living conditions in the 1880's slums of New York City, which immigrants lived crowded in small appartments with multiple families to a small room,
- Book led to an eventual change in living conditions for inner city immigrants
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Homestead Strike
- An industial lockout and strike began on June 30, 1892, culminating in a battle between strikers and private agents
- Considered one of the most serious disputes in US labor history
- Dispute occured at the Homestead Steel Works in the Pittsburgh- area town of Homestead, PA. Dispute was between the AA and the Carnegie Steel Company.
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Pullman Strike
- Company built town of Pullman so workers could rent homes from owner, George M. Pullman
- When rent became very high in 1893, wages were slashed due to panic of 1893. Pullman refused to lower rents
- Strike startedby Pullmanians, and was joined by thousands of others. This reulted in no transportation from Chicago to the West Coast
- Eventually the Strike leaders ( who were also the union leaders) were arrested and the strike collapsed.
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The Coal Strike
- Strike by the United Mine Workers of America in the Anthracite coal fields of eastern PA.
- Strike threatened to shut down the winter guel supply to all major cities
- President Theodore Roosevelt became invlolved and set up a fact-finding commissionthat suspended the strike.
- The strike never resumed, as the miners received more pay for fewer hours; the owners got higher price for coal, and did not recognize the trade union as a bargaining agent.
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The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
- The jungle is a book written by Muckracker Upton Sinclair. The book educates readers on the conditions of Chicago Meat factories in the Progressive Era. This book led to the creation and eventual passing of the Pure Food and Drug Act.
- Published in 1905
- Upton Sinclair is also known for creating the term " White Collar" worker
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The Bitter Cry for Children
- The Bitter Cry for Children is a book by Muckracker John Spargo describing the working conditions for young boys in coal mines. The book describes hardships of these young boys like the work conditions, work safety, job description, and health conditions of the mines. The book shows the unfortunate but very real situations and outcomes for the young boys who had to work in the mines.
- published in 1906
- The publication of this book led to a bill being passed to protect child laborers.
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The Pure Food and Drug Act
- United States federal law that provided federal inspection of meat products and forbade the manufacture, sale, or transportation of adulterated food products and poisonous patent medicines.
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Triangle Shirt Factory Fire
- Deadliest industrial disaster in NYC history
- 146 Garment workers killed in fire
- Most victims were Jewish and/or Italian immigrants with an average age of 16-23
- Fire is thought to be started by an unextinguished cigarette or match thrown on the floor.
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Congress of Industrial Organization (1935- 1955)
- Originally was apart of the AFL until 1935
- Broke away because it advocated orginization along, industrial lines rather than craft lines
- Finally reintegrated into AFL in 1955
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The National Labor Relations Act ( Wagner Act )
- Pro Labor
- Labor's right to organize legally recognized
- National Labor Board created
- Power to punish unfair labor practices
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GM Sit Down Strike
- Strike by General Motors employees that shut down plant operations in Flint, Michigan, and other cities from December 30, 1936- February 11, 1937
- The action against GM brought the tactic of Sit- Down Strikes and their effectiveness to the attention of the general public
- A Sit- Down Strike involves workers remaining in the workplace while on strike to prevent normal business operations from being conducted.
- GM bargained with the striking Union ( UAW ), and ended the strike.
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Fair Labor Standards Act
- 1938 Federal regulation of child labor achieved in this Act
- For the first time, minimum ages of employment and hours of work for children were regulated by federal law.
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Steel Strike
- Strike by the United Steelworkers of AMerica against U.S Steel and nine other steelmakers
- The strike was scheduled to begin on April 9, 1952, but President Truman nationalized the American steel industry hours before the workers walked out
- Steel companies immediately sued in hopes to regain control of their facilities
- In 1952, the Supreme Court determined the president did not have the authority to seize the steel mills
- The strike ended on July 24, 1952
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Major League Baseball Strike
- The 1972 babeball strike was the first players' strike in MLB history
- During the strike, 86 games were missed and never made-up or replayed
- Baseball resumed when the owners and players agreed on a $500,000 increase in pension fund payments and to add salary arbitration to the Collective BArgaining Agreement.
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New York City Transit Strike
- The 2005 NYC Transit Strike was a strike in NYC called by the TWU
- Negotiations for a new contract with the MTA broke down over retirement, pension, and wage increases
- The strike lasted from 3:00 AM 12/10/2005- 12/22/2005
- In the morning of 12/23/2005, all transportation systems were fully operational
