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The Railway Strike of 1877
A strike against the Baltimore & Ohio railroad that started a series of strikes across the northeast. The violence and disturbances that follow result in Federal troops being called out for the first time in a labor confilct. The strike is stopped, but it shows evidence of the deep conflict between workers and business owners -
Sherman Antitrust Act
Congress passes the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Intended to block business monopolies, it was used effectively by employers against unions. -
Pullman strike
Union workers walked out of the factory of the Pullman Company in Pullman, Illinois, in spite of the paternalistic treatment the company had afforded to workers. The strike, organized by Eugene Debs and the American Railway Union ended in a loss . -
Ludlow Massacre
Violence breaks out in a camp housing striking miners in Ludlow, Colorado. National Guardsmen machinegun strikers and set fire to their tents, killing five miners, two women, and twelve children. More than 75 people will be killed over the full course of the industrial dispute. -
Clayton Act
President Wilson, a friend of labor unions, signs the Clayton Act, which exempts unions from the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. In coming years, the new law will prove toothless, as courts void many of its union protections. -
Adamson Act
The Adamson Act establishes an 8-hour workday for employees of interstate railroads, with overtime for working longer hours -
The Great Depression
In the early 1930s, as the nation slid toward the depths of depression, the future of organized labor seemed bleak. In 1933, the number of labor union members was around 3 million, compared to 5 million a decade before -
Post World War II
Post-World War II America brought new challenges to labor as production needs sharply decreased and overtime hours dried up. Instead of lowering wages following the war, companies reduced overtime hours, which had the effect of a 50 percent decrease in take-home pay -
Postal Strike
More than 200,000 Post Office workers walk off the job in the first national strike of public employees. President Nixon calls on the Army and National Guard to keep the mail moving, the two-week strike was successful and ultimately leads to a modernization of the postal service.