Autonomy and Responsibility: The Start of Labor Unions The late nineteenth century was a time of great change for people everywhere. Industries became staples of society in almost every major city; farming became more efficient due to steel and machines, and more jobs were available because of all the new industries. Between 1865 and 1900, the number of people employed in manufacturing rose from 1.3 million to 4.5 million. Working conditions were terrible, providing long hours, low wages, and unhealthy conditions. Millions of people were denied the basic amenities that their labor made possible for others.1 When reviewing drive for monopolies, Edward Bellamy, author of Looking Backward, wrote that "The individual laborer, who had been relatively important to the small employer, was reduced to insignificance and powerlessness against the great corporation, while at the same time the way upward to the grade of employer was closed to him. Self-defense drove him to union with his fellows."2 The people wanted their independence and proper treatment from their employers, so they formed labor unions to achieve this goal. The employers were responsible for properly compensating them for their work, but yet they failed to do so until the laborers fought back. The start of such labor unions as the National Labor Union, The Knights of Labor, and the American Federation of Labor asserted the autonomy of the common worker. One significant labor union was the National Labor Union (NLU). In the summer of 1866, union leaders called a congress of labor organizations at Baltimore. At this time, seventy-seven delegates representing 60,000 workers launched the NLU. The NLU worked towards their main goal of obtaining an eight-hour wor... ... middle of paper ... ...se their labor force. Notes 1. Sean Dennis Cashman, America in the Guilded Age, 2nd ed. (New York: New York University Press, 1988), 235. 2. Cashman, 236. 3. Cashman, 238. 4. Cashman, 240. 5. Cashman, 237. 6. Louis M. Hacker and Benjamin B. Kendrick, The United States Since 1865 (New York: F. S. Crofts & Co., 1932), 224. 7. Cashman, 250. 8. Hacker, 225-226. 9. Hacker, 227-228. 10. Hacker, 229-230. 11. Harold U. Faulkner, Politics, Reform, and Expansion 1890-1900 (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1959), 87. 12. Hacker, 233. 13. Faulkner, 88. 14. Hacker, 231. 15. Cashman, 255. 16. Eric Foner and John A. Garraty, ed. The Reader's Companion to American History. 1991. 1 March 2000 http://www.historychannel.com/historychannel/thisday/, 1. 17. Hacker, 232. 18. Foner, 2.
George Browm Tindall, David Emory Shi. American History: 5th Brief edition, W. W. Norton & Company; November 1999
“Industrial unions dominated the landscape of the late nineteen century U.S. labor movement.” They gathered all level workers together without discrimination of gender, race, or nationality. They declared the eight-hour workday for the first time when normal work time should be 12. Low wage of workers caused the “Great Strike of 1877”, which began with railroad workers in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. After the “Great Strike”, industrial union started to
Modern democratic ideas were sprouting in America, especially within the organized labor movement from 1875 to 1900. During this period, blue-collar industrial Americans sought to abate their plight through the formal use of collective bargaining and the voice of the masses; seeking to use their strength in numbers against the pocket-heavy trusts. America’s rise in Unions can be traced back to 1792, when workers in Philadelphia formed America’s first union which instituted the avant garde method collective bargaining. It is because of these grass roots that America’s organized labor has continued to grow to this day, however not unchallenged. The challenges unions face today stem directly from the challenges faced in 1875. The organized labor movement from 1875 to 1900 is to blame for the problems unions face today as early labor unions crucified themselves politically, alienated themselves socially and failed to increase the socio-economic position of the worker, and in many cases only succeeded in worsening such positions.
Labor unions in the late 1800's set out to improve the lives of frequently abused workers. Volatile issues like the eight-hour workday, ridiculously low pay and unfair company town practices were often the fuses that lit explosive conflicts between unions and monopolistic industrialists. Some of the most violent and important conflicts of the time were the Haymarket Affair and the Pullman strike. Each set out to with similar goals and both ended with horrifying consequences.
There were several specific labor unions and strikes that affected the general public. In 1866, the National Labor Union was formed. Their main goal was the 8-hour work day. The National Labor Union did have some setbacks in achieving this goal; one in partic...
The rise of industrialization and laissez faire were key constituents in the rise of labor unions; businesses were given more breathing room and had more influence in the economics than the government. Citizens were feuding the need to obtain better working hours, reasonable wages, and safer working conditions; this was mainly prompted by industrialization. The three most prominent labor unions in this time period were the American Railway labor(1890s), Knights of Labor (mid-1880s) and the National Labor Union (1866); they pushed forward forward
Unions have been around for a long time. The first recorded union was in 1792, when shoemakers in Philadelphia met to consider matters of common interest. This earliest form of union was called a craft union. In 1886, the AFL (American Federation of Labor) was founded, and regulated labor activity in America for the next forty years. In the 1930’s, the AFL unionized the steel and automobile industry. A split in the AFL and the CIO (Congress of Industrial Organizations) occurred in 1938, but the two later reconciled their differences in 1955, merging their over 16 million members. Federal legislation passed in 1959 gave union members distinct rights, and also required unions to report on their internal operations. Since that time, memberships in unions have significantly decreased.
3. Divine, Breen, Fredrickson, Williams, eds., America Past and Present Volume II: since 1865 sixth edition (New York: Longman 2002).
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...
Chapter 19 of Liberty, Equality, and Power, asks what the most significant ways in which the ongoing struggle between capital and labor reshaped American society during the late 19th century (Murrin, 523). In response, one of the most important contributions was the introduction of new technologies utilized primarily in factories. This in turn lead to the revolutionizing of production lines, and corporations. This domino effect continued on to spur the birth of unions in the United States, who organized rebellions against corporate power still used today. Finally during this time women underwent a transformation of their civil rights, as well as their role in society.
A more successful collective bargaining union was known as the American Federation of Labor (AFL) founded by Samuel Gompers in 1886. This organization focused on practical issues that involved craft unionization of skilled workers. The craft workers were successful in organizing because unlike the unskilled workers they could not be replaced easily. This union bargained for thing such as 8 hour work days, higher wages did not deal with social reforms. Women’s wages were not considered because the AFL dealt
The National Labor Union and the Knights of Labor were founded in 1866. Employer resistance, public distrust and internal conflict, caused the union to experience a reduction in membership. As our country became ...
After the Civil War, many ideologies developed into the United States of America. Some of these ideologies included the free labor ideology and the producerist ideology. Free labor endorsed the belief that by removing slavery, or any other kind of barrier, everyone had an equal chance to try to get wealth (Farless). The producerist ideology tried to stay to the customary view of society and it stressed the importance of viewing the community instead of an individual (Farless). With these two ideologies, they had an impact on labor. By believing in the producerist ideology, people would be staying with tradition, and that leaves no change for our world. Many laborers wanted change, which led to problems for the laborers.
Throughout American history, labor unions have served to facilitate mediation between workers and employers. Workers seek to negotiate with employers for more control over their labor and its fruits. “A labor union can best be defined as an organization that exists for the purpose of representing its members to their employers regarding wages and terms and conditions of employment” (Hunter). Labor unions’ principal objectives are to increase wages, shorten work days, achieve greater benefits, and improve working conditions. Despite these goals, the early years of union formation were characterized by difficulties (Hunter).
Eibling, Harold H., et al., eds. History of Our United States. 2nd edition. River Forest, Ill: Laidlaw Brothers, 1968.