Labor Unions & Big Business

I have also shared a pdf file with you entitled Labor Unions. Using this reading and your textbook, complete the following assignment and post it on your blog by 8:20 a.m. Monday, Sept. 21. Title: Labor Unions & Big Business Labels: Labor, Industrial_Age

Identify each of the following events or people. Give an explanation or description of the item. Answer the questions who, what, where, and when.
Explain the historical significance of each item in the space provided. Establish the historical context in which the item exists. Establish the item as the result of or as the cause of other factors existing in the society under study. Answer this question: What were the political, social, economic, and/or cultural consequences of this item?
the Knights of Labor
a. Identification- It was a labor union founded by garment cutters in 1860 and its grand master was Terrence V. Powderly. At its peak in 1886, it had 730, 000 members. It accepted both women and african americans as well. Members came from all over the country, but the grand master was from pennsylvania and he was a mayor there.
b. Significance- The Knights of labor was the only labor union that survived the hard times of the 1800s, unlike other labor unions they welcomed all different people including women and african americans that greatly increased their population. They were against strikes for the most part, but inevitably the labor union particiapted in a couple. In the early 1800s they joined a strike for eight hour shifts, not too long after the police had to break up the riot and it ended with two deaths. The riot lead to the Haymarket riot that caused people to turn against the workers strikes and protests.
the Haymarket riot-
a. Identification-The haymarket riot immediately followed the riot in Chicago where two people were killed and others were wounded. Protestors gathered in Haymarket square to protest police brutality. A bomb exploded as police approached and seven were killed, sixty seven were wounded. Many anarchists and unionists were arrested, seven were tried, and four were executed. The evidence was circumstantial but one a police death is involved, it does not matter.

b. Significance- This was significant because it made people discontent of labor and revived midddle class of radicalism.
the American Federation of Labor
a. Identification- It emerged because of the 1886 upheavals as the major workers' organization. It was an alliance of national craft unions and it had about 140,000 members. The majority of the workers were native born skilled workers. It was lead by immigrant Samuel Gompers. The AFL pressed for goals like higher wages, shorter hours and the right to bargain collectively.
b.Significance- In the summer of 1892 the AFL and the Afl-affiliated Amalgated Asscoiation of Iron and steel workers refused to accept pay cuts and went on strike in Homestead, Pennsyvania. The effect of this is that it caused the Carnegie Steel company to close its plant and steel went through a setback.
Samuel Gompers
a. Identification- He was a pragmatic and opportunist immigrant, he headed the Cigar makers' union. Gompers lead the AFL. Under Gompers, the AFL grew to one million members in 1901 and two and half million members in 1917. His presence was valuable and his ideas attracted people. The AFL applied across the whole country. They represented 111 national unions.
b. Significance- The AFL rapidly grew under Samuel Gompers and as a result labor Unions became more powerful and people used there exercise to protest. Protesting became natural and labor unions grew.
the Homestead strike
a. Identification- In July 1892, the AFL-Affiliated amalgamated association of iron and steel workers refused to accept pay cuts and went on strike in Homestead, Pennsylvania. Henry C. Frick, the president of the Carnegie steel company, closed the plant.
b. Significance- The general public became in awe by the strikers and they were in no way friendly towards them. People saw them as a danger and once the threatened Henry C. Fricks life, enough was enough and the public was disgusted with the strikers.
the Pullman strike-
a. Identification- In 1894 workers at the pullman palace car company went on strike about company policies that they did not agree with. The strike was near the company town. Pullman factory workers did not have a choice but to basically live a "Pullman life." They shopped at Pullman stores, prayed at Pullman churches, and learned at Pullman schools, the controlled town became two much and people protested when the times got tough and Pullman would not negociate. Pullman had no problem cutting wages from 25 to 40%.
b. Significance-When the times got tough and Pullman cut wages, workers called a strike lead by young charismatic man, Eugene V. Debs. Pullman retaliated by closing the plant. Debs helped by refusing workers to work on Pullman cars. The government got involved and sent troops to Chicago, eventually the strikers gave and Debs was jailed. The railways would not be up to par without the manufacturing of the Pullman cars so the president, Grover Cleveland, sent the troops in to set things straight.
Eugene V. Debs
a. Identification- Debs was a young, charismatic, organizer. He lead the Union retaliating against the wage cuts handed by Pullman. He voted to aid the strikers by refusing to handle all Pullman cars. Because of Pullmans national popularity in the railway system, President Grover Cleveland sent troops to Chicago to stop the protestors and get the working of cars back in full swing. Eugene V. Debs was arrested for defying the court injunction. The Supreme court upheld Debs sixth month sentence on grounds that the federal government had the power to remove obstacles from interstate commerce.
b. Significance-Pullman cut wages from 25 to 40% and that resulted in the protesting of Pullman industry workers. Someone had to step up and lead the union laborers, the young man Eugene Debs lead them and he caused the President to become worried about the railways. Due to the absence of the Pullman workers the railways did not run properly and this would not fly with the president so he sent troops to fix it. Eugene Debs and the other protestors wreaked havoc by protesting and standing up for what the believed in. They tried to fix what they thought was wrong.
the Industrial Workers of the World
a. Identification- In the West, many Colorado miners partook in small violent strikes. In 1905 many of these workers formed a new labor organization known as the Industrial Workers of the World. Unlike the AFL, the IWW accepted all kinds, unskilled and skilled. They believed in unifying all of the workers. They believed in violent outbursts.
b. Significance- Labor Unions like the Knights of Labor and the AFL influenced unions like the IWW, as the Unions became more modern, they became more violent, resulting in many deaths throughout the early twentieth century. They searched for equality among the workers and fair wages for all. The government was threatened by this because it set an example for other unions to use violence in their favor.