The Organized Labor Movement

Flashcards for review on the key concepts related to the Organized Labor Movement.

What were the working conditions like in factories during the late 1800s?

Long hours (12 hrs/day, 6 days/week), low pay, dark/dirty environments, poor ventilation, and dangerous machinery.

Who often filled factory jobs during industrialization?

Poor immigrants, women, and children.

What was a company town?

A community where workers were forced to live in housing owned by the employer and buy goods from employer-owned stores.

What was the goal of early labor unions?

To negotiate for better wages, hours, and working conditions using collective bargaining and strikes.

What is socialism?

A philosophy favoring public (government) ownership of property and income, opposing capitalism.

Who founded the Knights of Labor and when?

Uriah Smith Stephens in 1869.

What made the Knights of Labor unique?

They included all workers (skilled, unskilled, African Americans) and focused on broad social reform.

Who founded the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and when?

Samuel Gompers in 1886.

What was the AFL's focus?

'Bread and butter' issues - wages, working hours, and working conditions.

What happened during the Haymarket Riot?

A bomb exploded at a labor protest in Chicago in 1886, killing a policeman and leading to violence and arrests.

What caused the Homestead Strike?

Wage cuts at Carnegie Steel in 1892.

What sparked the Pullman Strike of 1894?

Wage cuts and layoffs at the Pullman Company while rents and prices in company towns remained high.

Who led the American Railway Union during the Pullman Strike?

Eugene V. Debs.

What long-term effects did the Pullman Strike have?

Increased government intervention against unions, and slowed union progress for 30 years.