The late 19th century and early 20th centuries were a very tumultuous time in the Western United States, especially in the rapidly growing mining industry. The documentary “Fire in the Hole” explores specifically in how the relationship between miners and owners developed as labor unions became more prevalent and more influential. Along with these parties, other groups including the state and local government, non-unionized workers, and immigrant workers were forced to choose sides and be a part of this extremely violent conflict. The very nature of this struggle was a back and forth between the two main parties, trying to get an upper hand and having more control. For the workers, it was about controlling their own livelihood and the terrible …show more content…
conditions they endured during the day. For the owners, it was about being able to maintain order over their employees through complete economic control. Nonetheless, this clash eventually escalated into full on militant stands leading to the birth of the labor unions. The industrial revolution lead to the rise of many factories and machine-driven industries, however the mining industry was roaring and an important avenue for human labor in this time. This work was extremely dangerous and the risk of cave-ins and explosions was ever present. These workers worked long 10 hour days with very low pay in terrible conditions deep in the mines (Fire 2015). However, there was a constant stream of immigrants waiting to take these jobs from miners who did not agree with or tried to bring attention to these problems. This forced the miners to either stay and work or lose their jobs, creating a trade-off scenario for each person. The owners also used this steady stream of available labor to their advantage and it allowed them to keep wages low and working conditions dreadful due to the fruitful supply of labor at their disposal. These mine owners would work together with other owners in the area to essentially monopolize their own employees. They would stay in company housing, buy from company stores and their wages would be fixed by all the owners (Fire 2015). Another aspect of mining life that the workers were forced to endure was the complete control by the owners, including as mentioned above, the monopolization of their wages and life. This included specifically things like health care, room and board, etc. These deductions could cause their $3/day wage to fall to an actual wage of about $0.10/hour. This blatant extortion of these worked lead the way to the first semblance of workers’ unions. They would eventually come together and fight for change as a group rather than simply one single, expendable individual. However, this caused the tensions to escalate as now it was the workers union versus the mine owners group and not just one worker and owner. The miners negotiated a pay raise, however eventually the owners stopped production and then cut the pay of the workers once they returned. Just as the miners had strength as a group, so did the owners. The owners circumvented these bands of unionized miners by hiring immigrants as strike breakers; essentially these were miners that were not connected to the union and would work while a strike was occurring.
With these tense and unfair situations befalling workers, they saw any threat to their jobs as a hostile move. Because of this, there were strong anti-immigrant feelings throughout the industry; miners believed immigrants would simply come, take their jobs, earn enough money, and leave to their home countries. These immigrants were also subject to lower wages due to these same sentiments. Although the supply of these workers was high, the demand to hire immigrants was generally lower leading to a disparity in the price of their …show more content…
labor. The unions would often intimidate these strikebreakers to get them to leave. This placed these non-unionized immigrants in the middle of an unfortunate and dangerous stand-off. They also were forced into a trade-off scenario. Either they could go to work and provide for their families, or they could have to walk through picketed miners just to get to work and endure this intimidation. However, the conflict eventually escalated beyond mere picketing. They were the inadvertent targets of an attack by the miners which lead to the death of a strikebreaker through a planned explosion in the mine. This drastic move by the miners frightened and enraged the mine owners. They had been able to use fear and strength in numbers to control every economic aspect of their workers lives, however the tables had turned. In Iowa, the mine owners turned to the state and local governments to back them up in this conflict. In this time period, the state governments depended on these mines as the main source of economic prosperity for the region. This leverage allowed for mine owners to be able to call upon these politicians when needed. The attack on a non-unionized worker escalated this into a violent and soon to be militant battle. The mining industry was critical to all three of these main parties in different way but all were economically dependent on the industry in general. The government even began suspending due process and the rule of law to end this clash, further illustrating the importance of mining and the power that the mine owners had. However, just as with the owners using strikebreakers, the government using military force and martial law encouraged the miners to come together as a group against one single entity and defend their rights with whatever means necessary. Mine owners hired militia while miners used their own weapons; this conflict truly demonstrated the immense power struggle and the importance of what was being fought over. In Colorado, again, the state government intervened to prevent further bloodshed.
This time, Governor Waite sided with the miners and this changed the balance of power moving forward. This support validated the labor movement and essentially ‘broke the dams’ and led the way to chapters of the Western Federation of Miners (WFM) being formed all over the area. The relationship between miners and owners had fundamentally shifted slowly as the workers gained more power. Moving forward, this shift was a core part of the growth and establishment of the labor movement, yet this movement did not spread to other regions of the west. At the turn of the century, the state government of Idaho intervened and again the government suspended the rule of law as a means of control. They viewed the labor movement as a monster that needed to be suffocated, a far cry from the basic needs given by the first labor unions of fairer wages and hours (Fire 2015). This representation showed how this movement was viewed from the outside perspective and how the economic powers can skew the viewpoint of the
observer. This time, the struggle was not isolated in the west and rather grew to include national interest, assuring labor unions would no longer be an isolated occurrence and would eventually grow to become an important part of the history of this time. The birth of workers unions in the mines during the late 19th century started an irreversible back and forth struggle between owners and workers that would eventually break out into violence. The workers wanting better conditions would band together as one against the powerful, controlling interest of the owners. Non-unionized and immigrant workers were caught in the middle and were treated according to the adage, ‘if you aren’t with us, you are against us’. They were the first casualties of this war. State governments became embroiled due to the economic importance of this industry and in times sided with both parties. They brought the force needed to quell the uprisings multiple times, and eventually became a third major player in the labor movement.
On October 4, 2016 the sustainability department at Appalachian State University presented the film The Seventh Fire. This was the 3rd of five films in the series devoted to social justice that the sustainability department is presenting. This film was an informative piece on the prevalent drug and gang issue that is common on Native American reservations. The film focuses on the White Earth Indian Reservation and two members who act as large influences in the gang and drug culture that runs rampant through this community. Throughout the documentary both Rob Brown and his 17-year-old pupil Kevin struggle with gang affiliation and the want for redemption and salvation.
All levels of protection for the miners failed them. Every agency that was entrusted with their safety had other concerns as priority. Mr. Scanlan submitted true and honest reports of violations over a long period of time but never went that extra step to enforce the law. State authorities should have acted when the initial reports were made. The Union membership was at risk and yet the Union never represented Local 52 nor gave it support when it tried on its own to get state assistance with their grievances. Politics and profit motivated elected officials appointees and the coal company.
In the late nineteenth century, many European immigrants traveled to the United States in search of a better life and good fortune. The unskilled industries of the Eastern United States eagerly employed these men who were willing to work long hours for low wages just to earn their food and board. Among the most heavily recruiting industries were the railroads and the steel mills of Western Pennsylvania. Particularly in the steel mills, the working conditions for these immigrants were very dangerous. Many men lost their lives to these giant steel-making machines. The immigrants suffered the most and also worked the most hours for the least amount of money. Living conditions were also poor, and often these immigrants would barely have enough money and time to do anything but work, eat, and sleep. There was also a continuous struggle between the workers and the owners of the mills, the capitalists. The capitalists were a very small, elite group of rich men who held most of the wealth in their industries. Strikes broke out often, some ending in violence and death. Many workers had no political freedom or even a voice in the company that employed them. However, through all of these hardships, the immigrants continued their struggle for a better life.
Labor’s rights, this issue have been bothering many worker since the 19th century and can still be a problem today. As John L. Lewis has said in his speech “I repeat that labor seeks peace and guarantees its own loyalty, but the voice of labor, insistent upon its rights, should not be annoying to the ears of justice or offensive to the conscience of the American people” (John L. Lewis), which under his words meant that labor is something that can be done right and peacefully but it needs rules and benefits that come with those rules which labor asks for and when labor asks for those rules and benefits it shouldn’t be taken like some annoying kid’s demands but more as something that needs to be done and done with a right mind set. Labor today consists of a man or woman going to work, working their hours, and finally getting paid for those hours at the end of the week, at least a minimum of $7.50 an hour (United States Department of Labor), but before it wasn’t like that before many workers would get paid very poorly even thought they would work for a lot of hours and they wouldn’t get benefits from their work or safety when working such as in the mines like the mine workers, but one man stood up for them and his name was John L. Lewis (John Llewellyn Lewis, Encyclopedia).
In the film, Matewan, director John Sayles paints a 1920’s picture of a small, West Virginia coal-mining town. Over the course of the film, this seemingly American Township reveals itself as the site of feudal hardship for its citizens. The Stone Mountain Coal Company was the sole employer in Matewan. The company’s laborers struggled for autonomy and for freedom from the company’s grasp. The ideal method for this achieving such autonomy was organization of a union. This idea of union struck a cord with the company, and the conflict between employer and employee soon escalated into a battle. The laborers began to realize, in certain terms, that the Stone Mountain Coal Company is not simply a corporation but a feudal power. These townspeople were living in a capitalist country, but they were controlled by a feudal enterprise in Matewan, West Virginia. The coal mining business built a town that was then forced to rely on that company through monopoly control, bondage contract, and the organization of their production. Thus, the Stone Mountain Coal Company created a feudal monopoly over the town. The business had dominant control over all aspects of their laborer’s lives.
The Pullman Strike of 1894 was the first national strike in American history and it came about during a period of unrest with labor unions and controversy regarding the role of government in business.5 The strike officially started when employees organized and went to their supervisors to ask for a lowered rent and were refused.5 The strike had many different causes. For example, workers wanted higher wages and fewer working hours, but the companies would not give it to them; and the workers wanted better, more affordable living quarters, but the companies would not offer that to them either. These different causes created an interesting and controversial end to the Pullman strike. Because of this, questions were raised about the strike that are still important today. Was striking a proper means of getting what the workers wanted? Were there better means of petitioning their grievances? Was government intervention constitutional? All these questions were raised by the Pullman Strike.
Domhoff discusses the prevalence of labor unions in the New Deal era. In fact, by 1945, with the help of the liberal-labor alliances, union membership had increased five-fold to fifteen million in that past decade (pg. 172). However, after 1945, the liberal-labor alliances never saw a victory against corporate conservatives. Because of the corporate world’s domination of policy implementation, politicians rules time and again against labor unions because it works in corporate America’s favor. Labor unions serve as many working class Americans’ avenue into the political sphere; denying them a right to unionize is not only a fundamental violation of free speech but also morally and ethically wrong. Overall, Domhoff’s critique of wealthy politicians (primarily Republicans) is merited considering he argues empirically with statistics supporting extremely skewed voting trends against unions. Additionally, Domhoff’s argument exudes sympathy toward those less fortunate; I share Domhoff’s sentiment that is imperative we promote equality amongst classes, one way in which we should do so is through advocacy of labor
Throughout the American labor movement, there have been consistent interest groups involved with instituting unions and those advocating for their destruction. No labor movement has succeeded without battle between groups that desire control. The early 20th Century is no different--with the massive influx of immigrants and quick birth of the industrial revolution, the years 1900-1920 truly exemplified the conflict between workers and companies. This essay plans to detail the motives and tactics of four central groups fighting for control of worker’s rights by using the text Triangle: The Fire That Changed America by David von Drehle.
In the chapter “The Other Civil War,” Zinn contended that while the working class attempted to reform the labor system, the government suppressed tensions and turned class anger toward other outlets. Zinn described the poor working and living conditions of industrial laborers as proof of the need for labor reform. Overcrowding in cities, long work days, widespread disease, and other factors led workers to seek improvements. He presented numerous examples of strikes, rebellions, and riots to prove that class anger sometimes surfaced despite efforts to repress resistance. While he maintained that these reform attempts failed due to government intervention, many of these actions did result in some gains for the working class.
Throughout the history of the United States of America the continuation of misfortunes for the workforce has aggravated people to their apex, eventually leading to the development of labor unions.
In the early 1950’s America was on the cusp of great change. The fight for equal rights for minorities and women was just over the horizon, a movement that would explode in the 1960’s creating lasting social change within the United States. The miners of Zinc Town, USA, and their families, were a part of this movement. The miners, who were largely of Mexican descent, felt that the working conditions were unsafe and not on par with that of Anglo’s employed at different mines. The miners wives tolling day after day without sufficient plumbing and proper sanitation, felt that their issues were just as important and should be included in the demands of the miners union. Salt of the Earth (1954) looks at the miners strike through
The important prelude to the Coal Strike of 1902 was the strike of 1990. This strike occurred just as the 1900 presidential elections were happening (Grossman). John Mitchell, president of the United Mine Workers called this strike into effect on September 17, 1900 (Grossman). It proved effective because he had the support of most miners. The election also helped the miners cause as it brought the strike to national attention. Political bosses took note and convinced mine owners that a strike was bad news for their party (Grossman). This allowed the strikers to get the 1...
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.
The paper will discuss minicases on ‘The White-Collar Union Organizer’ and ‘The Frustrated Labor Historians’ by Arthur A. Sloane and Fred Witney (2010), to understand the issues unions undergo in the marketplace. There is no predetermined statistical number reported of union memberships in this country. However, “the United Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) excludes almost 2 million U.S wages and salary employees, over half of whom are employed in the public sector, who are represented at their workplaces by a union but are not union members. Not being required to join a union as a condition of continued employment, these employees have for a variety of reasons chosen not to do so. Nor do the BLS estimates include union members who are currently unemployed” (Sloane & Witney, 2010, p.5). Given this important information, the examination of these minicases will provide answers to the problems unions face in organizational settings.
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).