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National Grange
Grange farmers organized to fight the rising ‘middle man’ in farming business. The group gathered at meetings for interaction and eventually set up their own banks, insurance, and grain elevators. -
Knights of Labor
Started as a society of secret garment workers who pushed for cooperative commonwealth and was open to diversity. As it expanded the organization included skilled workers and textile workers. While they were not necessarily the major cause, they got blamed for the Haymarket Square Riot, leading to their downfall. -
Haymarket Square Riot
In Chicago where workers were protesting the McCormick Reaper plant police tried to control the protesters which lead to violence and several police and people killed. In a trial eight anarchists were convicted of murder and criminal conspiracy. -
American Federation of Labor
Founded by Samuel Gompers after the Haymarket Square, the AFL was a collection of trade unions that was made up of mostly skilled craftsmen. The AFL was far less accepting to diversity in their membership the the Knights of Labor which kept them from really accelerating. -
Great Railroad Strike
Railroad workers went on strike to oppose wage cuts during the depression of 1873. Travel by railroad stopped across America because of the strike and caused violence from protesters. The strike resulted in the creation of the National Guard. -
Sherman Antitrust Act
This was the first act put into place that majorly affected labor trusts. The act attempted to outlaw monopoly practices and stated that labor unions strikes and boycotts are a legal right covered by the law. -
Homestead Strike
Carnegie locked out members of Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers steel union and successfully kept unions out of the steel industry until the 1920s -
Anthracite Coal Mine Strike
The Anthracite Coal strike occurred during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency and saw a federal change in the way unions and strikes were handled. When the United Mine Workers of America union were refused negotiation, Roosevelt threatened to take over the plant it they were not negotiated with. -
Bureau of Corporations
As a part of the newly founded department of labor under Taft, the bureau of corporations had the right to investigate any suspicious corporations and report on anything out of the ordinary that may signal breaking commerce laws. -
Industrial Workers of the World
Known as the Wobblies, the IWW were the most radical of all organized labor groups that pushed for ‘worker solidarity’. The wobblies included immigrants and unskilled laborers which helped them gain popularity among many. -
NAACP
Founded by Web Dubois, Ida B. Wells, and others the National Association for the Advancement of Colored people pushed for equal working opportunities as well as educational, social, and political equality. -
Failure of Ammendment to Ban Child Labor
Only four states passed the amendment to ban child labor, while the rest opted to keep it because of the support it provided to families. The pro-child labor views were typically in the south where there were mine workers. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
A fire broke out in a New York City factory leaving three stories of workers who were mostly young immigrant women were trapped inside the workplace and died because of unsafe conditions. Citizens were outraged by the incident and pushed for New York to form a factory commission. The commission passed 56 laws improving working conditions and was the most advanced labor code in America. -
Clayton Antitrust Act
Passed by Wilson’s democratic congress, the Clayton Antitrust act increased how the government interpreted monopolies and allowed the department of justice even more power over investigating and prosecuting companies suspected of being monopolized. There was also clarity that these antitrust laws were to be applied to companies rather than labor unions. -
Workingmen's Compensation
Passed by Wilson, workingmen’s compensation was passed to provide compensation for federal employees if injured on the job. This was proven to be helpful for employees and is still utilized in modern times. -
War Industries Board
This board was created during world war one to direct military production,allocation of resources, changing factories into war production factories, and determining prices of goods. -
National War Labor Board
This board in exchange for a pledge to not strike, made an 8 hour work day for war laborers, supported equal pay for women and still supported workers’ rights to organize. -
Wagner Act
It defined unjust labor practices, secured workers the right to bargain collectively, and established the National Labor Relations Board. It also granted workers the right to form and join unions. It endorsed the principles of exclusive representation and majority rule. -
Works Progress Administration
Under Roosevelt the WPA provided public works funds from the government to provide jobs for millions of Americans during the Great Depression. -
National Labor Relations Board
A result of the Wagner Act, the National Labor Relations Board gave laborers the rights to organize and collectively bargain. -
Taft- Hartley Act
During Truman’s presidency, the republican controlled congress passed this law placing restrictions on laborers that made it more difficult for the to unionize. Out of this came ‘right to work’ states and ‘union states’. The law also required unions to get rid of communists, which were a big part of these unions. This act kept unions contained and stopped the spread to other parts of the country and non-organized labor.