LABOR UNIONS

Labor Unions seek to improve: Wages Working Conditions Benefits

Strike

Work Stoppage

Craft Unions

Workers with similar skills who work in different industries for different employers

Industrial Unions

For workers with different skills who work in the same industry

Knights of Labor

Founded by Uriah Stephens Included skilled & unskilled

workers Included white men & minorities Adopted the following political

goals1. 8 – hour work day2. The end of child labor

American Federation of Labor Founded by Samuel Gompers Organization of craft unions

that focused on the interest of the skilled laborer

Bread & Butter Goals1. Shorter hours2. Higher wages3. Better working conditions

Congress of Industrial Organizations Organized unions for industrial

workers

International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union Most known for the march to T.

Roosevelt’s house w/ 80 children to emphasize the need for child labor laws

THE HOMESTEAD STRIKE

The Homestead Strike was an industrial lockout and strike which began on June 30, 1892, culminating in a battle between

strikers and private security agents on July 6, 1892. The result was the union lost and unions suffered a major blow around the U.S.Carnegie Steel installed superior technology for the time to his

Homestead Plant in Pennsylvania allowing for unskilled workers to replace the skilled/union workers. The union wanted to protect

their jobs and ordered a slow-down.Henry Frick was the plant manager and believed that the

skilled/union workers were slowing down the production process and wanted to push back against the union. During negotiations, the union pushed for a raise, but Frick countered with a 22% pay reduction. When no agreement was reached, Frick locked out the union. The union was determined to keep the factory closed and started running patrols to make sure no strikebreakers could get

in. So Frick hired a security force from Pinkerton National Detective Agency to keep the factory open. A battle ensues

between the Pinkerton’s and the Union members. Pinkerton’s surrender, but Frick refused to negotiate and the State militia was

called in.

http://www.history.com/shows/men-who-built-america/videos/homestead-strike?m=5189719baf036&s=All&f=1&free=false

THE PULLMAN STRIKEThe Pullman Strike was a conflict between the new American Railway Union (ARU) and railroads that occurred in the US in 1894. It shut down

much of the nation's freight and passenger traffic west of Detroit. It began in the town of Pullman, Illinois when nearly 4,000 employees of the

Pullman Palace Car Comp. began a strike in response to reductions in wages.

Most factory workers who built Pullman cars lived in the planned worker community of Pullman, which Pullman had designed as a model

community, but which he controlled. When the company laid off workers, it did not reduce rents, and the workers called for a strike; they had not formed a union. When Pullman refused arbitration the ARU (Eugene V. Debs) called for a strike against the factory, but it showed no sign of

success. To win the strike, Debs decided to stop the movement of Pullman cars on railroads. The over-the-rail Pullman employees (such as conductors and porters) did not go on strike. Debs and the ARU then called a massive

boycott that affected most lines west of Detroit and involved some 250,000 workers in 27 states at its peak.

Riots and sabotage caused $80 million in damages; 30 people were killed. The federal government secured an injunction against the union to stop interfering with trains that carried mail cars. They refused and the Army moved in to stop the strikers from obstructing the trains. Violence broke

out in many cities, and the strike collapsed. Debs went to prison for violating a court order and his ARU disappeared.

http://on.aol.com/video/impact-of-the-pullman-strike-300994006

Haymarket SquareThe Haymarket riot was a demonstration and unrest that took place on

Tuesday May 4, 1886, at the Haymarket Square in Chicago. It began as a rally in support of striking workers. An unknown person threw a bomb at police as they dispersed the public meeting. The bomb blast and ensuing

gunfire resulted in the deaths of eight police officers and an unknown number of civilians.

Union membership started to DECLINE due to the VIOLENT nature of these strikes.

Union membership started to DECLINE due to the VIOLENT nature of these

strikes.

The synopsis of these three strikes?

1. They were all unsuccessful2. They turned violent

3. They drove down union membership

Slowly, new labor organizations started to form that found strength in numbers.

However, when the Great Depression hit, unions lost membership due to the unemployment rate, but

gained power because of legislation passed as part of the New Deal.

http://www.cqpress.com/context/constitution/images/coaz4d_im203.jpg

Unions Gain Power

Norris – LaGuardia Act Outlawed the practice of hiring

only workers who agreed NOT to join a union

Employers had to allow workers to organize if they wanted to

National Labor Relations Act Known as the Wagner Act Protected the rights of workers in

the private sector to form unions & to use strikes

Gained right to collectively bargain Negotiating between businesses and

their organized employees to establish wages & to improve working conditions

Fair Labor Standards Act

Set a minimum wage Required extra pay for overtime Made most child labor illegal

Tactics Unions used:

Closed Shop A business required to hire only

union membersUnion Shop A business where workers are

required to join a union within a set time period after being hired

What happened to unions after WWII?President Truman passed a series of anti-union

legislation including the Taft-Hartley Act which limited union activities and increased government’s power to

intervene during strikes.

Also, due to the Red Scare of the late 40’s and early 50’s, the US wanted to get rid of all Communist-related groups, which sometimes included labor unions

Taft – Hartley Act

Limited union activities Increased the government’s

power to intervene if a strike might threaten national security

Landrum – Griffin Act

Forbade communists from holding union offices

Required tighter financial and electoral accounting

Union’s Steady Decline

1. Unions’ tarnished reputations2. Changes in the labor force3. Laws restricting union influence

Right-to-work laws emphasize that workers are free not to join a union

Most right-to-work states are in the south and central west

Binding Arbitration

Decision by a neutral third party that each side agrees ahead of time to accept

Injunction

Government forcing you back to work

West Seneca has a population of 23,000. Of that 23,000:____E___ a. 9,300 work as paid employees.___U____ b. 3,200 are unemployed, but are looking for work.___NC___ c. 2,500 are unemployed and have given up looking for work.___ NC __ d. 187 are retired and go fishing daily. _12,500_ 1. How many people would be included in the

workforce?9,300 + 3,200 = 12,500 (E + U = Labor

Force)__25.6%_ 2. What is the unemployment rate for the town?

3200 / 12500 x 100 = 25.6%__2500__ 3. How many people from above would be considered discouraged workers?

Niagara County has a population of 1,800,000. Of that:__ NC ___ a. 80,000 are retired and are not looking for work.___E____ b. 640,000 work as paid employees.___U____ c. 37,500 are laid off and are waiting to be called back to work.__ NC ___ d. 75,000 are unemployed and have given up looking for work in the area. _677,500_ 1. How many people make up the workforce?

640,000 + 37,500 = 677,500__5.5%___ 2. What is the unemployment rate for the county?

37,500 / 677,500 x 100 = 5.5%

Many members of the Senior Class at Hamburg High School are now employed. Of the kids in the class:__U___ a. 15 have recently applied for a job and have not

been hired.__E____ b. 150 are employed part-time.__ NC __ c. 35 don’t work, aren’t interested in work, never want to work and sit at home milking their parents of their hard earned income while playing Call of Duty or dancing to the Michael Jackson Experience. __165__ 1. How many people make up the workforce?

150 + 15 = 165__ 15 __ 2. How many would be considered unemployed?__9.1%___ 3. What is the unemployment rate?

15 / 165 x 100 = 9.1%