Trade Union and Labour Rights 1865-1992
The Gilded Age:
The Growth of TU’s in the Gilded Age:
TU Details
Knights of Labour Founded 1869
Membership peaked 1886 @ 700K
Membership declined afer 1886 Haymarket + Great SW Rail
Campaigned for: Equal Pay, Politcal Reform, End Child Labour
Catered for both sexes, all skill lvls, b + w’s
Hostle to Chinese Immigrants supported Chinese Exclusion Act
Used strikes + boycots
American Federaton Founded 1886
of Labour (AFL) Less politcal than KoL + IWW focused on workers benefts
Focused on skilled, white males (less inclusive)
Membership 500K 1900 1.7mill 1904 4mill 1920
Preferred peaceful talks to strikes worked bc were in demand
When they struck they won bc skilled labour is harder to replace
Aims: shorter hrs, beter pay + conditons
Involved in 20K strikes & won over half
Effectveness of Earlv Union Actvitv:
Pennsvlvania Coal Strike 1874-5 & the “Mollv Maguires”:
Applies to: Divided Movement, External Factors, Employers Attides
Immigrant workers, Violence + Intmidaton, divided movement
Conditons terrible esp among unskilled miners (mostly Irish immigrants)
Crash of 1873 made things worse
Provoked bv: owners cut wages 20% lasted 6months forced to accept pay cut & return
Strikers weak bargaining positon bc of high unemployment from the Crash
Forced back to work: inability to feed family, violence + intmidaton by thugs & Pinkerton agent
Some joined “Molly Maguires” commited acts of sabotage + sometmes murdered owners
Miners divided between unskilled Irish miners (struck) & skilled miners (didn’t strike)
The Great Railwav Strike 1877:
Applies to: Federal Attides, Employers Attides, Strength of Unions
Fed Involvement bc state milita failed, Strikebreakers, Union strength
Provoked by employers cutng wages x2 in a year
Virginia state milita called out (many sympathised with workers) so federal assistance required
Strike affected at least 6 states + much resistance
Temporarily gained control in Pitsburgh + Chicago (20K ppl rallied in support of the strikers)
Strike was defeated in about 6 weeks bc:
1. Fed troops, state milita + private police force used
2. Surplus of labour = employers able to bring in strikebreakers
1
The Gilded Age:
The Growth of TU’s in the Gilded Age:
TU Details
Knights of Labour Founded 1869
Membership peaked 1886 @ 700K
Membership declined afer 1886 Haymarket + Great SW Rail
Campaigned for: Equal Pay, Politcal Reform, End Child Labour
Catered for both sexes, all skill lvls, b + w’s
Hostle to Chinese Immigrants supported Chinese Exclusion Act
Used strikes + boycots
American Federaton Founded 1886
of Labour (AFL) Less politcal than KoL + IWW focused on workers benefts
Focused on skilled, white males (less inclusive)
Membership 500K 1900 1.7mill 1904 4mill 1920
Preferred peaceful talks to strikes worked bc were in demand
When they struck they won bc skilled labour is harder to replace
Aims: shorter hrs, beter pay + conditons
Involved in 20K strikes & won over half
Effectveness of Earlv Union Actvitv:
Pennsvlvania Coal Strike 1874-5 & the “Mollv Maguires”:
Applies to: Divided Movement, External Factors, Employers Attides
Immigrant workers, Violence + Intmidaton, divided movement
Conditons terrible esp among unskilled miners (mostly Irish immigrants)
Crash of 1873 made things worse
Provoked bv: owners cut wages 20% lasted 6months forced to accept pay cut & return
Strikers weak bargaining positon bc of high unemployment from the Crash
Forced back to work: inability to feed family, violence + intmidaton by thugs & Pinkerton agent
Some joined “Molly Maguires” commited acts of sabotage + sometmes murdered owners
Miners divided between unskilled Irish miners (struck) & skilled miners (didn’t strike)
The Great Railwav Strike 1877:
Applies to: Federal Attides, Employers Attides, Strength of Unions
Fed Involvement bc state milita failed, Strikebreakers, Union strength
Provoked by employers cutng wages x2 in a year
Virginia state milita called out (many sympathised with workers) so federal assistance required
Strike affected at least 6 states + much resistance
Temporarily gained control in Pitsburgh + Chicago (20K ppl rallied in support of the strikers)
Strike was defeated in about 6 weeks bc:
1. Fed troops, state milita + private police force used
2. Surplus of labour = employers able to bring in strikebreakers
1
