Topic 1, Lesson 10: US Trade Unions (1865-1890)

Topic 1, Lesson 10: US Trade Unions (1865-1890)

Early Unions (National Labour Union)

• When was the National Labour Union formed?

• Where was this national organisation launched? How many delegates were at the launch of the National Labour Union?

• Did the Union last? Why?

• In 1872 how many members did the NLU have?

• In 1877 how many members did the NLU have?

The National Labour Union was formed in 1866. The NLU was launched when 77 delegates representing 60,000 workers gathered at Baltimore, Maryland.

However, the union was short-lived (it did not last very long) because the economic depression of 1873 drove millions of workers into unemployment and therefore out of their unions.

In 1872, the NLU had 300,000 members.

By 1877, this membership total had dropped to just 50,000.c

Topic 1, Lesson 10: US Trade Unions (1865-1890)

The 1877 National Railroad Strike Causes

• What caused the National Railroad Strike of 1877?

• What generally happens when workers go on strike?

• In Pittsburgh, how many workers took part in a pitch battle? Who were they fighting?

• What did the workers do in Pittsburgh?

• How many cars, locomotives and buildings did the workers at Pittsburgh burn?

• What was President Hayes’ response to the rioting in Pittsburgh?

• How many people were killed at Pittsburgh?

The National Railroad Strike of 1877 was triggered when the owners of the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad announced a pay cut, which was the fourth that year. During the strike, workers walked off the job and were joined by workers from rival railroad companies and even some workers from entirely different industries abandoned their jobs in sympathy. Together, these workers attacked railroad yards, burned trains and tore up tracks.

The violence was the worst in Pittsburgh where 5,000 workers fought in a pitch battle against 650 federal troops. These workers in Pittsburgh burned more than 500 cars, 104 locomotives and 39 buildings. President Hayes responded by bringing in federal troops. 25 people were killed when these federal troops fired into the rioting crowd.

Topic 1, Lesson 10: US Trade Unions (1865-1890)

The National Railroad Strike Consequences

• How much was all the damage caused by the railroad strikers’ worth?

• How did the railroad strike of 1877 affect most Americans? Why?

• How did the 1877 Railroad Strike affect organised labour (trade unions)?

In total, the strikers along America’s railroad lines had destroyed more than $10 million worth of property.

Middle class observants of the strikes were terrified as they feared that the strike of 1877 was the first step left-wing citizens took toward communism. Alternatively, they feared the possibility of social warfare just a decade after the end of the Civil War.

The strike also convinced organised labour (trade union) members that they needed to reorganise.

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