APUSH Labor Union Review

APUSH Labor Union Review Flashcards

What is the main purpose of organized labor?

To unite workers within a trade, industry, or workforce to achieve common goals such as higher wages, benefits, and improved working conditions.

Name some tactics commonly used by labor unions.

Collective bargaining, political action, picketing, strikes, boycotts, and slowdowns.

What are some tactics owners/managers might use against unions?

Public relations campaigns, lockouts, hiring scabs, blacklisting, yellow-dog contracts, and using government authorities or private security to break up strikes.

What was significant about the Mechanics' Trade Union Association (1927)?

It was the first labor union to include different trades.

What did Commonwealth v. Hunt (1842) establish?

The Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that labor unions are legal organizations and have the right to strike.

Name one of the first major national labor organizations in the Gilded Age

National Labor Union (NLU) (1866)

What event led to negative public reaction of unions in the late 1870s?

The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 due to its violence and the calling in of federal troops.

What were some of the goals of the Knights of Labor?

Higher wages, cooperatives, anti-trusts, and child labor laws; they favored arbitration, education, and cooperation.

What was the significance of the Haymarket Riot (May 4, 1888)?

A bomb thrown in crowd on Commemoration of May Day killings where police officers were killed. Blame was placed on anarchists and Knights of Labor and other unions mislabeled as anarchists led to negative public reaction to unions and lost membership and strength of the Knights of Labor

Who founded the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and what was its primary focus?

Samuel Gompers founded the AFL, which focused on practical goals for workers such as higher wages, shorter working hours, and improved working conditions.

What were the key events and outcomes of the Homestead Strike (1892)?

The Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers (AA) failed to collectively bargain with Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick, leading to a lockout, violence with Pinkerton detectives, and the weakening of labor unions.

How was the Sherman Anti-Trust Act used during the Pullman Strike of 1894?

Pullman owners used the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to file a federal injunction against union strikers, leading to the Supreme Court finding the injunction constitutional in In re Debs.

What role did President Theodore Roosevelt play in the Coal Strike of 1902?

He brokered a compromise between workers and owners for higher wages and shorter hours in the sake of public interest

What was the mission of the Women's Trade Union League (1903)?

AFL-linked labor union support organization made of working-class and middle-class women. Provided social education and relief support for working-class women and supported strikes and pickets

What was the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) also known as and who led the organization?

Aka the Wobblies. William 'Big Bill' Haywood was a strong and direct leader

What were working condition reforms due to following the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire (1911)?

Massachusetts minimum wage law (1912). Establishes first minimum wage law in the nation

What was the Ludlow Massacre (1914)?

Colorado National Guard open fire on strikers killing men, women, and children

What was the result of the Keating-Owen Act/Child Labor Act (1916)?

Prohibited sale of goods manufactured by children through interstate commerce. Ruled unconstitutional in Hammer v. Dagenhart

What was the Adamson Act (1916)?

Establishes 8-hour workday for railroad workers and overtime compensation

What was the purpose of the National War Labor Board during World War I?

Arbitrated labor disputes to facilitate economic production during war and avoid strikes and other labor disturbances

What were the effects of the strikes of 1919?

Led to Federal government and American press and public denounced unions and violence related to strikes fueling mass hysteria of possible revolution. Led to a more pro-business mentality and reduced support and membership of unions

What was the American Plan?

Companies promoted image of unions as un-American, socialist, anarchist, radical amidst a culture of nativism and rugged individualism

What did the Norris-La Guardia Act (1932) do?

Prohibited companies from using yellow-dog contracts and injunctions against nonviolent strikes

What did the Wagner Act/National Labor Relations Act (1935) do?

Guaranteed the right to join unions, the right to collective bargaining, and prohibited unfair business practices against unions such as blacklists, company unions, discrimination

What did the Social Security Act (1935) do?

Federal insurance program designed to collect income from owners and employees for a trust fund to provide financial assistance for elderly over 65, unemployment compensation, disabled, and dependents

What did the Fair Labor Standards Act (1938) do?

Established federal minimum wage, maximum 40 hour workweek, overtime at time and a half, child labor laws for under 16

What did the Office of Price Administration (OPA) do during World War II Effects

Froze prices and wages to prevent inflation and economic contraction amidst massive economic production and expansion

What did the Smith-Connally Anti-Strike Act (1943) do during World War II Effects

allowed government to nationalize an industry if threatened with strikes during the war

What was the ruling of Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952)

Ruled President Truman's seizure of steel production facilities in an attempt to break a strike was unconstitutional

What did the Taft-Hartley Act (1947) do?

Outlawed closed shops which forced workers to join unions before being hired, Permit states to pass right to work laws, prohibits secondary boycotts and authorizes president for 80 day cooling off period before a general strike is called

What was the results of the AFL-CIO Merger (1955)?

Combined the success of AFL's membership with white-collar workers and the expansion of industrial unions of the CIO

What was the purpose of the Landrum-Griffin Act (1959)?

Designed to prevent corruption and promote democratic processes within unions.

Who was the prominent leader of the United Farm Workers (UFW)?

Cesar Chavez

What happened to PATCO (air traffic controllers union) during Reagan's presidency in the 1980s?

Reagan fired most of the controllers after they launched a strike, leading to the dissolution of PATCO and a decline in private sector union membership.