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Work condition during the industrial revolution
Work condition during the industrial revolution
The labor unions of the 1800s
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Today, my fellow comrades, I, too, like many others want to take the liberty to talk about the importance of labor unions and the horrendous state under which we work in. As both, a female immigrant and a textile laborer I am grateful that such unions have emerged and have brought the working people together. For far too long we have worked without a decent pay, always settling for what is offered. For far too long we have worked without a decent schedule, always having to work due to fear of losing our jobs. For far too long we have worked without safe nor decent work environments, due to the lack of jobs available and greediness of our employers. (https://www.britannica.com/topic/International-Ladies-Garment-Workers-Union) Not too long ago I joined the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, also known as the ILGWU) and ever since we fight for justice, primarily for our female sisters. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Ladies%27_Garment_Workers%27_Union) In the ILGWU the majority is female and immigrant. (http://ilgwu.ilr.cornell.edu/history/) But our sisters are not the only ones in need of assistance. Which is why I call upon the men to also get involve for many of our men and children are also victims of …show more content…
Not knowing whether or not they will come back alive or come back missing one of their limbs. (PPT 4, GILDED AGE, SLIDE 29-30) Like I said before children are also harmed with such decisions. They are forced to do the dangerous tough jobs like pulling mine carts and finding lost things behind dangerous machines. These are all kids that are not being able to go to school to get an education because the system is too greedy and prefers to have cheap labor rather than an educated society.
Previous to the fire, the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union took a stand with the Women’s Trade Union League to strike against the their working conditions. Unfortunately, even though their voices were heard, many of the sweat shop owners disregarded all basic workers’ rights. Management had no fear from
The Women’s Trade Union League was established in 1903 during the height of the Progressive Era. Elite women and eventually working women as well, set out to improve the lives of the poor, working class women in the United States by promoting to both men and women the importance of the workingwomen coalescing into unions. They believed that organization and education were the keys to enacting change in the workplace and protecting the workingwomen’s economic interest. The WUTL gave women a place to meet and discuss important issues regarding their problems with their employers and their working conditions while also providing a mechanism for funding the strikes as well as support and experience. This was the role they played in the many strikes that took place in the early 20th century and they continued to believe that unions were the answer to the struggles that women faced as a result of industrialization. After the war and the granting of Women’s suffrage, the issues that faced the Women’s Trade Union League took an international turn in reaction to the devastation of the World War and the WTUL also faced internal debate with women in the United States about the legitimacy of the protective laws put in place that restricted the amount of hours women could work. Acknowledging the ultimate failure of their efforts for the past 20 years to organize the female labor force or integrate them into the male unions, they turned their attention to defending protective laws and promoting peace as a means of fulfilling their purpose of improving the welfare of working women.
Which leads into my third and final premise, changing the date will be a large step towards reconciliation and act as a demonstration that we have aspirations to make our country better. Many people claim that changing the date will not change history. Of course they’re right because nothing can change history. If we were capable of doing so, I’d like to think we would have done it already. Changing the date of Australia Day will not reverse the suffering that the original custodians of this land were subjected to. Nor will it abolish the iron fist of racism that Australia seems to be gripped by.
Picture a stunning sandy beach, waves lapping on the shoreline and the sun setting on the horizon creating a breathtaking atmosphere. The never-ending golden sand stretching as far as the eye can see. This is Australia.
Unions have always been a pain in employers’ sides. From today to the 1910s, workers have tried to unionize for better conditions in their jobs. Today, people try to opt out of being in unions, avoiding the union’s dues but still reaping the rewards. That’s a long way away from what people experienced in the 1910s. During that time period, people were struggling to even be apart of a union. Some people would even risk their jobs to do it. In fact, the first worker’s strike was was during the the West Virginia Coal Wars. Coal Miners went on strike to advocate for better working conditions and better pay. At the helm was Mary Harris Jones, or Mother Jones as she was known. She fought for coal miner workers’ rights and helped them unionize by
The early 1900s was a time of many movements, from the cities to the rural farms; people were uniting for various causes. One of the most widespread was the labor movement, which affected people far and wide. Conditions in the nation’s workplaces were notoriously poor, but New York City fostered the worst. Factories had started out in the city’s tenements, which were extremely cramped, poorly ventilated, and thoroughly unsanitary. With the advent of skyscrapers, factories were moved out of the tenements and into slightly larger buildings, which still had terrible conditions. Workers were forced to work long hours (around 12 hours long) six hours a day, often for extremely low pay. The pay was also extremely lower for women, who made up a large portion of the shirtwaist industry. If a worker were to openly contest an employer’s rule, they would be promptly fired and replaced immediately. Also, strength in numbers did not always work. Managers often hired brutal strikebreakers to shut movements down. The local police and justice were often of no help to the workers, even when women were being beaten. At the time, the workers needs were not taken seriously and profit was placed ahead of human life. This was not just a struggle for workers’ rights; it was also a movement for the working class’ freedom.
Beginning in the late 1700’s and growing rapidly even today, labor unions form the backbone for the American workforce and continue to fight for the common interests of workers around the country. As we look at the history of these unions, we see powerful individuals such as Terrence Powderly, Samuel Gompers, and Eugene Debs rise up as leaders in a newfound movement that protected the rights of the common worker and ensured better wages, more reasonable hours, and safer working conditions for those people (History). The rise of these labor unions also warranted new legislation that would protect against child labor in factories and give health benefits to workers who were either retired or injured, but everyone was not on board with the idea of foundations working to protect the interests of the common worker. Conflict with their industries lead to many strikes across the country in the coal, steel, and railroad industries, and several of these would ultimately end up leading to bloodshed. However, the existence of labor unions in the United States and their influence on their respective industries still resonates today, and many of our modern ideals that we have today carry over from what these labor unions fought for during through the Industrial Revolution.
“I regard my workpeople just as I regard my machinery...When my machines get old and useless, I reject them and get new, and these people are part of my machinery” (Sands 12). A foreman at a textile mill in Fall River, Massachusetts spoke these words in possibly the worst time during American labor history, the Industrial Revolution. During the Industrial Revolution, large numbers of people in the United States flocked to work in factories where they faced long hours, unsanitary and unsafe conditions and poor wages. Labor unions, or groups of organized workers, formed in the United States to ensure workers the right to a safe workplace and a fair wage in the face of capitalistic factory owners seeking wealth. In exchange, union members owe the responsibility to work diligently and to the best of their abilities or face the failure of their company and the loss of their jobs.
Factories were known for their ill treatment of their employees, long hours and dirty and unsafe conditions. In 1866, unions started to form to improve working conditions for the workers. A fundamental problem faced by democratic societies is as long as people live their lives individually and go their separate ways and be selfish individuals, they are unlikely to meet collectively to resolve issues. There needs to be meaningful unity among people to alleviate this problem to get people obliged to one another, so there is a willingness to sacrifice for shared goals. Bonding of its citizens creates a democracy. Unions seemed to offer the middle class a chance to become a crucial part of fostering institutions of constitutional democracy. The unions have went through several transitions, but have always worked for the working force. I will discuss the history of the various unions, their wins and losses, and the struggle of the employee to achieve democracy in the workplace.
Women worked mainly in the garment industry. Their working conditions were less than desirable and they worked for lower wages and long hours. Women formed the Industrial Ladies Garment Workers Union to represent laborers in sweatshops. They event...
Unions have an extensive history of standing up for workers. They have advocated rights of steelworkers, coal miners, clothing factory employees, teachers, health care workers, and many others. The labor movement is based on the idea that organized workers as a group have more power than individuals would have on their own. The key purpose of any union is to negotiate contracts, making sure workers are respected and fairly compensated for their work. “In theory” unions are democratic organizations, resulting in varying inner authority. Workers look for security within a job a...
With many craftsmen out of jobs and more hungry laborers coming from Europe, the society was changing and growing and innovations had to keep up with that. “Pressure for change came from several directions. Immigrants from Europe, especially the Middle Atlantic region, increased the supply of urban labor” (332). Men came from Europe in the hopes that they could create big industries, especially because they knew that there was enough space and people to make it happen successfully. One of the biggest industries to arise during the industrial revolution was the addition of textile mills. These textile mills could quadruple the amount of work one woman could do at home. These factories provided many people with employment but many of the employees complained that they were working long hours without enough money earned to compensate for it. “But increasing competition in the textile industry cut profits, and by the 1830s, operatives found wages cut, boardinghouse rents raised, or workloads increased. Twice, in 1834 and again in 1836, women took strike action to resist these changes” (351). Most women that could not find jobs before the industrial revolution gained them after but they felt the injustice that was being put on them. Consequently, it was very popular for the employees to build labor unions to fight against what republicanism was turning out to
Jane Collins’ book Threads: Gender, Labor, and Power in the Global Apparel Industry (2003) shows how the apparel industry developed to become labour intensive, driven by low wages and is particularly oppressive against females. The book outlines how two clothing companies, Tultex and Liz Claiborne subcontract work out to plants in Mexico. Collins suggests labour conditions in developing nations help shape new unions with both communal and women’s interests as a driving force. However in order to critically examine the strengths, weaknesses, and methodology of the book, it is necessary to have a full understanding of the author as it gives insight into any possible bias which may appear.
“I am, somehow, less interested in the weight, and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived, and died in cotton fields, and sweatshops.”- Stephen Jay Gould. Sweatshops exploit people, and children. They take advantage of their poverty, and there need, for a better life. Sweatshops are one of the worst things that ever happened to the business world, and poor people around the world. Sweatshops should be stopped, and ended.
For my “How to do” speech my goal was to share with the class an interesting and informative way to learn something new. Due to the speeches time limit, I knew I needed to be well prepared. I wanted to be less nervous before and during my speech. While presenting I was nervous, but I didn’t really have time for these feelings to sink in because I was focused on the information I wanted to share with the audience. I enjoyed presenting in the second group of speeches so I could see my peers different types of speaking style. The audience seemed alert and interested in my topic which made it a little bit easier for me to speak, because there weren’t any distractions in the room from people not paying attention. I think part of that was because