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Industrial Revolution
The industrial revolution caused a major shift in the life of Americans. People now moved to cities and manufacturing towns to work in factories. With these new type of systems coming into place, the owners could take advantage of the workers, so unions started to form in order to protect their rights. -
The Civil War
The Civil War had a huge effect on labor in the United States. The Civil War took lots of men away from factories and went to war. This lessened the need for unions as people were at war and there was less men in the factories. -
European Immigration
Many people from Europe began to flock to The United States in search of work. The Irish potato famine was a great cause of this, as many Irish people were starving and came to America to try and start anew, but many German and Eastern European people came as well. This caused a great need for unions, as owners were easily taking advantage of these newcomers who had nothing, and unions formed to protect them. -
Haymarket Square Strike
In downtown Chicago there was a peaceful protest among labor unions in Haymarket Square. This was changed when a bomb was thrown and the protest became a riot quickly with the police becoming involved very quickly. As a result, 8 people died and many more were injured. -
The Sherman Antitrust Act
The Sherman Antitrust Act was introduced in 1890 by John Sherman. This law was made to stop trusts or monopolies from raising prices madness also said unions and strikes were covered in the law. This helped unions and strikes, but the government never really acted on this so they were still very unprotected. -
Homestead Strike
Andrew Carnegie wanted to break up the union in his steel production. He hired Pinkertons to investigate and infiltrate the union in order to stop it. The union found out and then found out when they were coming and fired at the barge they were on and a gunfight broke out. Around 10 people died in the incident. -
The Coal Strike of 1902
The United Mine Workers of America in Anthracite, Pennsylvania went on strike for higher wages, shorter workdays, and to be recognized as a union. This strike threatened to shut down the fuel supply of many American cities. With that risk, Theodore Roosevelt stepped in and suspended the strike, and he got the workers a 10% wage increase and a hour shorter workday, so the strike never resumed. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression was a time of mass unemployment. The rate was 25% unemployed and is the highest in America than it ever has been. This lead to a great need for unions, as owners tried to lower wages and had to lay off employees, but unions tried to keep their rights. -
The Textiles Workers Strike of 1934
Around 400,000 workers striked on the eastern seaboard for better wages, shorter hours, and representation in the National Recovery Administration. The strike lasted 20 days and was widespread in the East. The cause ultimately did not work because there was no popular support and the south made a surplus of textiles. -
The Wagner Act
The Wagner Act was signed into action in 1935 by Franklin Roosevelt. The Act created the National Labor Relations Board to enforce employee rights and gave employees the right to join unions and owners had to bargain collectively with unions. This gave much more power to unions as owners were now forced to contend with them. -
Fair Labor Standards Act
The Fair Labor Standards Act was part of FDR's New Deal and gave more rights to employees. The Act established a minimum wage, time and a half overtime pay, and ended child labor. This helped unions because now everyone had to be paid a certain amount.
