Topic 6.7- Labor in the Gilded Age

Iron law of wages

Low wages were justified by arguing that high wages would only increase the number of workers; if the number of workers increases, the amount of money that were paid to workers would decrease.

lockout

Owners of a business do not allow the workers to work; the workers are prevented from working and earning money.

blacklist

The names of "problem workers" or "workers who promoted union membership" were placed on a _____ and shared with other factory owners to communicate with them not to hire these people.

Yellow dog contract

A contract between a worker and an employer in which the worker agrees not to remain in or join a union.

collective bargaining

The ongoing process of negotiation between representatives of workers and employers to establish the conditions of employment for all workers including wages, promotions, job functions, working conditions and hours, worker discipline and termination, and benefit programs.

strike

A work stoppage by union members because of a disagreement between the union and the owners over wages, employment hours, or working conditions.

closed shop

A trade business that only allows union members to work there.

open shop

A trade business that does not require you to be a union member in order to work there.

Molly Maguires

An Irish organization of coal miners in regions of western Pennsylvania in the mid to late 1800's that worked together to achieve better working conditions, and when demands weren't met, they protested by destroying mining equipment and other activities.

Knights of Labor

Labor union that sought to organize all workers, skilled and unskilled.

Terrence Powderly

Leader of the Knights of Labor

"8 hours for work, 8 hours for rest, 8 hours for what we will"

The motto / slogan of workers who wanted an 8 hour work day.

AFL (American Federation of Labor)

A union that only wanted to represent skilled workers.

Samuel Gompers

leader of the AFL (American Federation of Labor)

pure and simple unionism

purposed by Samuel Gompers (president of the AFL) this slogan emphasized that the AFL would only focus on getting 1. shorter working hours for workers 2. higher wages for workers 3. better working conditions for workers

bread and butter unionism

What is another name for "pure and simple unionism"?

pure and simple unionism

What is another name for "bread and butter unionism"?

IWW (Industrial Workers of the World)

A labor organization for unskilled workers, formed by a group of radical unionists and socialists. This group performed many acts of industrial sabotage and violence in pursuit of its goals.

Haymarket Riot

Union protest in Chicago by striking workers at the McCormick Reaper Factory turned deadly after an anarchist threw a bomb into a crowd of police. Most of the union protestors / workers were immigrants, so the incident promoted anti-immigrant feelings and unions were viewed in a negative way.

Pullman Strike

Violent 1894 railway workers' strike which began outside of Chicago and spread nationwide after the owner of a company that made luxurious passenger train cars cut wages but refused to lower rent in the "company town".

Homestead Strike

Strike at Andrew Carnegie's steel plant in which Pinkerton detectives clashed with steel workers.