long hours, horrible working conditions, low pay, wage cuts, no

safety, company towns

• A single worker cannot improve working conditions alone• Workers began to unite to protect themselves against

management’s abuses. As business had combined to protect against competition, so…

Craft UnionsSince 1700s – focused only for its members interests – each separate craft

teamsters, printers, silversmiths, etc.

Skilled workers with an apprenticeshipNo unity among the unions

Growth of unions – 1800s – 1900s

• Labor leaders organizing workers had to:– Persuade members of different craft unions to

cooperate– Organize the rapidly growing numbers of

unskilled industrial workers into new labor union• 1st = labor organizers planned political

moves –1860s-1870s = most labor unions avoided economic pressures, strikes considered inappropriate

Unions by 1910Industrial Unions develop 8.3% of industrial workers were in the

unions1. National Labor Union (NLU)2. American Railway Union (ARU)3. Knights of Labor4. Industrial Workers of the World

(IWW or Wobblies)These unions competed with the more

powerful craft unions especially the American Federation of Labor (AFL)

Type: organization of individuals not separate local unions

Leaders: Uriah Stephens & PowderlyMembership: skilled & unskilled

1866= 700,000 (60,000 blacks)1890= @100,000 mostly in West

Goals: 8 hr/dayNo child, convict laborHealth/safety laws= pay for = work (men/women)Government ownership RR, telegraph, telephoneEnd use of Pinkertons & National GuardsInitiative and referendum at state levels

Knights of Labor 1869-1890s

Knights of LaborTactics: 1. Arbitration 2. Political activity 3. Education4. Strike only as last resort

Accomplishments:1877 RR workers won against

Gould RRFired workers rehired

Decline: connected to Haymarket Affair – turned public against Knights

During 1890s AFL wooed skilledmembers with goalsthat were winnable

American Federation of Labor – 1881-present

• Type: national craft union – each local union self-governing, all loosely federated to national union

• Leaders: Samuel Gompers (British immigrant) 1885-1924

• Membership: skilled only 1886 = 150,000 1897 = 447,000 limited # of women and blacks

• Goals: – Higher wages – Shorter hours– Better working conditions – Right to collectively baragin

Bread and butter unionism

AFLTactics: 1. Avoided political activity2. Collective bargaining3. Strike when necessaryLeaders often went along with

managementAccomplishments:

Wage increase – 1890-1915 went from $17.57/week to $23.98 /wk

Average work week reduced 5.5 hours

Decline:leadership did not

always support strikes(ex:1892 Homestead)

Mechanization replaced skilled workers

Less than 1/3 workforce so success was limited

Industrial Workers of World – Wobblies = 1905-1919

• Type: industrial union 13 divisions (factory based)

• Leaders: “Big Bill” Haywood, Eugene Debs, Mother Jones, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

• Membership: Any workers 1905= 8,000 1913 = 150,000

• Goals: – Complete the American Revolution– Democracy to workers– Overthrow capitalist

system/workers run factories– Abolish wage system, redistribute

wealth

Wobblies / IWWTactics:

– Education – Songs for solidarity– Civil disobedience– Sabotage– Strike

Accomplishments:1912 Lawrence Strike Proved that the unskilled

could be organizedSongs

Decline:AFL worked against

IWWLeadership would leave

after strikeBad reputationFederal Government

passed laws against advocating violence

IWW protested US business in WWI = deported

Lawrence Strike

Strike – March

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

Hay Market Riot