Labor Unions

What type of people did factory owners employ for low wages?

Many immigrants

Where did industrial laborers often work in dangerous conditions?

Sweatshops

How did laborers have to purchase goods in company towns?

At high interest at company stores

What is one form of collective bargaining used by workers?

Strike

What do workers do during a strike?

Stop work until their demands are met

Knights of Labor

-Included all workers from any trade

-Devoted to broad social reform

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

-Included skilled workers

-Focused on specific worker issues

American Railway Union (ARU)

-Included rail workers

-Conducted the Pullman Strike of 1894

When did socialism spread through Europe?

1830s

What is the main idea of socialism?

Wealth distribution should be equal

How did some American labor activists view socialism?

As a source of ideas for social reform

How did Americans view socialism?

They rejected it

As membership in unions grew in the 1870s, a wave of confrontations between labor and management rocked the country.

A major strike of railroad workers in 1877 resulted in the federal government sending in troops to restore order.

Hay Market Riot (1886)

Across the nation, workers mounted demonstrations for more rights. This protest in Chicago turned violent. This made Americans wary of labor unions.

Homestead Strike

Troops were called in to control fighting between workers and Carnegie Steel.

What event occurred one year after the Homestead Strike?

Pullman Strike

Who led the strike organizers during the Pullman Strike?

Eugene V. Debs

What company laid off rail workers and cut wages, leading to the Pullman Strike?

Pullman Palace Car Company

What action halted nationwide railroad traffic and mail delivery during the Pullman Strike?

The strike

What was the outcome for Eugene V. Debs during the Pullman Strike?

He was sent to jail

How did the government respond to the Pullman Strike?

Ordered the strike organizers to end the strike and sent in troops

How did employers respond to unions?

Employers successfully appealed for court orders against unions.

What happened as American industry grew in relation to labor disputes?

Court disputes and strikes continued to occur as American industry grew.

What role did Debs play in the labor movement?

Debs helped organize the American Socialist Party and the IWW.

What happened to the labor movement as a result of internal differences?

The labor movement split into different factions.