ethnic divisions - evidence it was a barrier to labour/union rights

what was white workers concerned about?

white workers concerned about African Americans and immigrants from Europe and Asia taking their jobs or working for less money, unions did not let ethnic groups join

what did immigration of people from southern and Eastern Europe do?

angered African Americans who believed arrival of immigrants kept their own wages low and reduced bargaining power

what did the abolition of slavery mean?

African Americans were available to join the industrial workforce, but many white people were unwilling to work with them, as were many of European immigrants

what happened at times of unrest?

employers were able to lay off white workers and replace them with African Americans, limited ability of workers to strike as they didn’t want to be replaced

what workers could employers sack?

workers who attempted to organise action, resulting in removal of men who could lead unions

what did the company attempt in the Pullman Strike?

to prevent the organisation of unions by sacking its leaders. While AFL did not exclude AAs, many of its affiliates did so porters could organise effective action

what was the struggle for porter recognition under 1937 reinforced by?

racial divisions and economic separation as AAs would not join white people led unions. AAs created their own unions which weakened unity of workforce

what did’t unions promote?

equal opportunities for AA workers. Smaller unions didn’t welcome members of different races, and ethnic groups continued to struggle too gain supports for rights from unions

what else weakened position of unions?

immigrants willing to work for firms that ran non-union enterprises