Keith Overshown
WXT 1
November 26,2017
Statistics for over 95 percent of all commodity transactions are compiled from records filed electronically with Customs and forwarded as computer tape files to the Census Bureau. Statistics for other transactions are compiled from hard-copy documents filed with Customs and forwarded to the Census Bureau processing.
During the Second Industrial Revolution in America, workers needed help. First of all, modern labor laws such as safety regulations, minimum wages and working hours didn't exist at the federal level, and many state and local protections were struck down by the Supreme Court. There had been little need for economic regulation in earlier times and little desire to see federal intervention over
…show more content…
states' rights until after the Civil War. This hands-off approach to the economy is called laissez-faire capitalism. Second, in the late 1800s, many educated Americans agreed with the concept if not the term of social Darwinism that is, the so called fittest members of society in this case, the fittest businesses will survive, and the weakest will die out. Therefore, the struggle between labor and management was only natural, and if it was allowed to play out, then the economy and the people would evolve into something stronger at least in theory. In reality, working conditions were not going to evolve, because labor had no leverage. This third problem was largely due to unprecedented immigration. Despite difficult, dangerous circumstances, there was an increasing pool of people willing to work for poverty wages, and when there are more willing workers than jobs, employers don't need to improve conditions. America’s bloodiest clash, the sectional conflict of the Civil War (1861-65) pitted the Union against the Confederate States of America and resulted in the death of more than 620,000, with millions more injured. Throughout Europe, many workers turned to various forms of socialism, but American workers weren't necessarily dissatisfied with government; they just wanted to increase their own bargaining position in the market. They did this by organizing. A factory owner could easily replace one button-pusher who complained about his working conditions; it was not so easy to replace an entire factory full of them. The earliest large-scale union in the United States was the Knights of Labor, organized in 1869. They sought equal work for equal pay, including women and blacks, and an 8-hour workday. Despite early successes, however, the Knights peaked in the 1880s and were soon replaced by the American Federation of Labor, or simply the AFL. The AFL, led by Samuel Gompers, combined several national craft unions in 1886.
The American Federation of Labor saw modest victories, because they had modest goals. They did not attempt to overhaul the basic economic system. Instead, Gompers and the AFL pressed for a better position within the existing system: for example, higher wages, a right to work without being laid off arbitrarily and better working conditions. Gompers opposed most strikes and didn't think that organized labor should be involved in politics though the AFL did come to support candidates after the turn of the century. And though Gompers claimed that unions were 'of the workers, by the workers, for the workers,' the American Federation of Labor did not welcome unskilled workers. They approved of racially segregated local unions and varied in their openness to …show more content…
women. In contrast to the relatively AFL, the most militant of the early labor unions was the Industrial Workers of the World, known simply as the IWW, or 'Wobblies.' The Wobblies openly called for class warfare and aggression, including sabotage, and looked forward to the day when workers would seize machines and factories for themselves. Their leader, Eugene Debs, ran for president several times as the Socialist Party candidate. Although strikes were not new in America, worker organization became more widespread during the Second Industrial Revolution. In the 1880s alone, there were nearly 10,000 strikes and lockouts. Of course, management attempted to shut down the growing union movement, tried to stop workers from joining unions and did whatever they could to break strikes. In many ways, the two sides were at war with one another, often with violent results. Usually, the workers ended up on the losing side. One such conflict was the Great Railroad Strike of 1877. The nation was still feeling the effects of the Panic of 1873, with unemployment as high as 14%. When railroad employees in West Virginia had their pay cut twice in a matter of months, they went on strike, but railroad executives were unable or unwilling to discuss their demands. The strike spread to cities across the nation, leading to riots, arson, destruction of railroad property and even gun battles with state and federal troops. Before it was all over, more than 100 men were dead, and more than $100 million worth of property had been damaged. But, there were no increases in pay and the War Department created the National Guard to handle such problems in the future. Here are some few bullets point about the enovolment of labor. Bill of Rights of Union Members Union members have equal rights to nominate candidates for union office, vote in union elections, and participate in union meetings. They may also meet with other members and express any opinions. Unions may impose assessments and raise dues only by democratic procedures. Unions must afford members a full and fair hearing of charges against them. Unions must inform their members about the provisions of the LMRDA. Members may enforce Title I rights through a private suit against the union, but may be required to exhaust internal union remedies for up to four months before filing suit. Union members and nonunion employees may receive and inspect collective bargaining agreements. This right may be enforced by the individual or by the Secretary of Labor. The Great Depression changed political attitudes in the United States significantly, and child labor reform benefited.
Almost all of the codes developed under the National Industrial Recovery Act served to reduce child labor. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which for the first time set national minimum wage and maximum hour standards for workers in interstate commerce, also placed limitations on child labor. In effect, the employment of children under sixteen years of age was prohibited in manufacturing and mining.
This success arose not only from popular hostility to child labor, generated in no small measure by the long-term work of the child labor committees and the climate of reform in the New Deal period, but also from the desire of Americans in a period of high unemployment to open jobs held by children to adults.
Other factors also contributed in a major way to the decline of child labor. New types of machinery cut into the use of children in two ways. Many simple tasks done by children were mechanized, and semi skilled adults became necessary for the most efficient use of the equipment. In addition, jobs of all sorts increasingly required higher educational levels. The states responded by increasing the number of years of schooling required, lengthening the school year, and enforcing truancy laws more effectively. The need for education was so clear that Congress in 1949 amended the child labor law to include businesses not covered in 1938, principally commercial
agriculture, transportation, communications, and public utilities.
Companies and factories were expanding and women and children were able to join the workforce. The Knights of Labor, led by Powderly, attracted both skilled and unskilled workers. They participated in many of the major events due to the Knights of Labor such as the Haymarket Riot and the great railroad strike. Another big labor union was the American Federation of Labor (AFof L), led by Samuel Gompers. While the Knights of Labor allowed skilled and unskilled workers, the American Federation of Labor only allowed skilled workers. Gompers argued and demanded for “a reduction of the hours of labor” and for better wages (Doc 6). Many laborers joined these labor unions to fight against the big
These comforts and conveniences included better and more developed homes, cheaper clothes, more tools and utensils to work with, and faster and cheaper travel. One of the most important concerns of this time period is the effect of child labor. Document 7 states: Large machines and rising demand for products quickly led to the growth of the factory system. The building of these factories led to the hiring of massive numbers of child workers, the youngest at 11 to 12 years old.
After the industrialization, machine became so important that workers’ excellent skill was not necessary anymore. So talented workers were no more valuable. Entrepreneurs could easily hire cheaper workers to run the machine, which lower the workers’ salaries in a certain degree. Then of course workers wanted to gain equality with their employers like what they lived before. Therefore, workers established Unions to protect their own benefits.
They concentrated on higher wages, shorter hours, and personal issues of workers. The American Federation of Labor’s main weapon was walkouts and boycotts to get industries to succeed to better conditions and higher wages. By the early 1900’s, its membership was up to ½ million workers. Through the years since The Great Depression, labor unions were responsible for several benefits for employees. Workers have safer conditions, higher paying jobs to choose from, and better benefits negotiated for them by their collective bargaining unit.
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
Factories were utilizing children to do the hard work. They employed children as young as five or six to work as many as twenty hours a day. According to Document C, children worked in factories to build up muscles and having good intellect in working rather than getting an education. They became a different person rather than conventional children. There were additionally health issues due to child labor: rapid skeletal growth, greater risk of hearing loss, higher chemical absorption rates, and developing ability to assess risks. Progressive Era reformers believed that child labor was detrimental to children and to society. They believed that children should be protected from harmful environments, so they would become healthy and productive adults. In 1912, Congress created the Children’s Bureau to benefit children. The Keating-Owen Act was passed in 1916 to freed children from child labor only in industries that engaged in interstate commerce. However, it was declared unconstitutional sinc...
The organized labor was unsuccessful because many of the workers went on strike or were killed and didn’t get what they wanted. On July 7, 1892 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, there were ten people reported dead and more that had no official notification of death (Document G). These people died because they participated in the Homestead Strike. Even after this gruesome strike Homestead did not give into their demands and remained a nonunion for a while after. This proves that even though they held a strike against the factory, the workers conditions did not improve at all and many people died making the Homestead Strike unsuccessful. On July 18, 1877 there was an editorial about the Railroad Strike of 1877. It stated that “The strike is apparently hopeless, and must be regarded as nothing more than a rash and spiteful demonstration of resentment by men too ignorant… to understand their own interests.” (Document B). This document proves that the Railroad Strike was not making a dent in the workers conditions. The strikers are the workers and because they are on strike they are not working which means no income. They do all this and they get nothing out of the strike, again proving that the labor union was unsuccessful. Since many of the organized strikes turned out not to do anything, in some cases death, the labor union failed to improve the workers conditions.
Child labor is nothing but cheap labor. The big companies loved cheap labor because then they could make an item for not very much money, and make a huge profit margin. Fried continues to state how cheap the labor was, “One glass factory in Massachusetts was fenced with barbed wire ‘to keep the young imps inside.’ These were boys under 12 who carried loads of hot glass all night for a wage of 40 cents to $1.10 per night.” Unlike, children today who are in bed sleeping by 8 pm each night, these children had to stay up all night working to make just enough income for their families.
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.
...ion of Labor was a failure. It was successful in organizing workers, besides that I did not read anything that would make the American Federation of Labor a successful attempt to address the problems.
Turbulent times of a newly freed democracy bred a longing for civil liberties and birthed what would become equality for all. The United States of America, known for independence, has not always been balanced in its freedom. The labor movement in America was a significant step in developing equal opportunity. In the nation’s infancy, working conditions were abominable. Workers were underpaid, overworked, and abused. Women and children in the workforce were ubiquitous in certain industries, often earning far less than a man would. Countless laborers were injured or killed on the job, and there was no health insurance. If a worker was wounded while working, he or she would simply be replaced. As a result of the deplorable labor environment, unions
Child labor has been around for hundreds of years. “Children of poor and working-class families had worked for centuries before industrialization” (Tuttle 1). Before children were needed in factories they worked on family farms tending the fields or animals, as time went on families moved from farms to the cities where children were still required to work. Children worked for numerous reasons some were that their parents couldn’t work so the responsibilities were passed to the children; others included the simple need for more money to feed the entire family. Large businesses welcomed the increasing number of child workers, for the business it meant cheap labor and cheap laborers that could be replaced easily. The exact number of child workers is unknown and has been estimated as stated in multiple articles such as this, “By 1900 over two million children, mostly immigrant children under the age of sixteen, were employed” (Wagner 1). Parents wanted their children to work as soon as possible so they could get as much income as possible, parents often did illegal things to get their children to work, “Boy’s parents often presented a fake birth certificate with an altered date o...
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).
In a time where jobs were scarce and the economy was suffering, the second industrial revolution brought about new changes to the work force and the economy. Du...
Working conditions during the industrial revolution made labor laws and rights happen. Thinking back to the 19th century in England, working conditions have improved tremendously. Unfortunately it had to start with devastating conditions of employment for people, but look at where England is today.