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Essay on the pullman strike
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Essay on the pullman strike
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According to Jonathan Basset (1997), “George Pullman made a fortune by constructing luxury sleeping cars for the railroads as they quickly spanned the country in the post-Civil war era” (p. 34). In 1880, Pullman started the construction of his company in Pullman, Illinois, which was built to house employees and get the car company running. In the US during in the summer of 1893, the Pullman Company was very successful until the economic depression hit. As two-thirds of the employees were let go, while the rest experienced wage cuts, the workers complained that the company didn’t reduce the rent of their apartments. “In 1894, the workforce at Pullman Company was organized by the American Railway Union (ARU), under the leadership of Eugene Debs” …show more content…
The Chicago Tribune described the strike as a war for American liberty. Workers who showed allegiance to the strike were considered anarchists and if they showed allegiance to Pullman they were considered Americans (Rondinone, 2009, p.99). According to William W. Ray (1979), “if it was a Civil War between anarchists and upstanding citizens, the railroad and the government won by crushing the ARU” (Ray, 1979, p.35). This strike, which involved violence and destruction of the property, “backlashed against foreignness and the vision of industrial unionism that seemed to depend on new immigrants” (Rondinone, p.105). President Grover Cleveland directed military troops to end the strike. Most media accounts of the Pullman strike emphasized the unpatriotic characteristics of the strikers (Rondinone p.88). Business leaders sometimes wanted immigrants, as employees because they were a cheap labor source. According to Richard Schneirov (1999), “In November 1894 the president’s commission established to study the Pullman strike issued a report that lambasted ‘the theory that competition would amply protect shipper as to rates, etc., and employees as to wages and other conditions’ and endorsed collective bargaining” (p.29). After the Pullman Strike the Erdman Act was passed to settle future railroad disputes. Under the Erdman Act, Yellow-dog contracts, which
In 1898, congress passed the Erdman Act, which prohibited employers from firing employees based on if they join a union. An employer for the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company, William Adair, violated the statute by firing O.B. Coppage for his participation in a labor organization. The court, in a 6 to 2 vote, held that the statute not only violated the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment, it also held that congress’s power over interstate commerce does not extend to memberships in unions. The court uses substantive due process to read into the Fifth Amendment the laborers and employers right to ‘liberty of contract,” which Justice Harlan points out by citing the similar ruling in Lochner. The court reads it as the right of individuals to enter into contracts to either purchase or sell labor, which the law violated by limiting the rights of both the employer and employee. The court also rejected the argument that the law was within congressional power under interstate commerce by stating no logical correlation between union memberships and how it would affect intersta...
The Pullman Strike was a disturbing event in Chicago, Illinois history. It occurred because of the way George Pullman, founder of the Pullman Palace Car Company treated his workers. George Pullman was born in 1831, in upstate New York, he was the son of a carpenter. He learned carpentry himself and moved to Chicago, Illinois in the 1850s. From there, he opened up his own railroad company called the Pullman Palace Car Company and it took off from there. During the Civil war he began creating a new kind of passenger car that would allow passengers to enjoy themselves. It was a new line of luxury railroad cars featuring comfortable seating, restaurants, and improved sleeping accommodations. Because low paid railroad workers, led by Eugene Debs, took a stand against George Pullman by boycotting and
James B. Weaver illustrates the true damage of monopolies on the public in “A Call to Action” (Document 4). Weaver, a two-time candidate for president of the United States, addresses the meticulous tactics which trusts and monopolies use to increase their profit at the expense of the public and asserts that their main weapons are, ”threats, intimidation, bribery, fraud, wreck, and pillage.” Arguments such as Weaver’s, suggest and end to the end of the laissez-faire capitalism that monopolies are sustained upon. Laissez-faire capitalism is essentially a system where the government takes no position in the affairs of businesses and does not interfere, no matter what harm is being done. This ideology dominated the business world of the century and allowed for vast unemployment, low wages, and impoverishment. Soon, laborers also begin to express their dismay with the way that such businesses are run and the treatment of workers in the railroad industry. An instance of this being the Pullman Strike of 1894. In 1894, laborers went on a nationwide strike against the Pullman Company; they issued a statement regarding their strike in June (Document 6). Workers are repulsed by Pullman’s exertion of power over several institutions and how his greed affects his competitors, who must reduce their wages to keep up with his businesses. This incident inspires many to take
During the Colorado Coal Strike from 1913 to 1914, one of the largest losses of life was the Ludlow Massacre, or sometimes referred to as the Battle of Ludlow, on April 20, 1914. Colorado was the epicenter for mine-related violence in the West. From 1913 to 1918, the United Mine Workers of America launched a full-scale unionization campaign by sending forty-two organizers to the Trinidad coal mine located in Ludlow, Colorado. Ludlow was the largest tent colony in Colorado and a major source of tension during the Colorado Coal Strike. Strikers were asking for better wages and pay for “dead work” (unpaid work necessary for maintaining workable conditions), an eight-hour workday, the right to elect their own checkweighmen, the right to choose what resources they buy and use, and the enforcement of the Colorado Mining Laws. Consequently, hundreds of mine
After working with his brother, George moved to Chicago. In Chicago George helped rebuild the houses that were being eroded by Lake Michigan (Laughlin). He believed in the American dream, that anyone who was hardworking, and inventive could become a great success (Laughlin). He was only 30 when he arrived in Chicago and had high aspirations for his life.(Burgan). On the train ride their, Pullman had difficulty sleeping because of how uncomfortable the seats were. Because of his discomfort he came up with his first idea, the idea of a sleeping car that would eventually become the main product...
Tensions between union supporters and management began mounting in the years preceding the strike. In April of 1994, the International Union led a three-week strike against major tracking companies in the freight hauling industry in attempts to stop management from creating $9 per hour part-time positions. This would only foreshadow battles to come between management and union. Later, in 1995, teamsters mounted an unprecedented national union campaign in attempts to defeat the labor-management “cooperation” scheme that UPS management tried to establish in order to weaken the union before contract talks (Witt, Wilson). This strike was distinguished from other strikes of recent years in that it was an offensive strike, not a defensive one. It was a struggle in which the union was prepared, fought over issues which it defined, and one which relied overwhelmingly on the efforts of the members themselves (http://www.igc.org/dbacon/Strikes/07ups.htm).
The Transportation Revolution in the 1800s, sparked up industrialization and the building of railroads that stimulated every other industry causing an economic boom known as the Gilded Age. From the outside, America seemed like the place to go to make all your dreams come true. But in reality, in was an era of serious social problems mainly caused by an economy with a free market policy, low tariffs, low taxes, less spending, and a hands-off government. This type of economy would eventually lead to the development of monopolies. These monopolies would then, in turn, lead to worker uprisings ‒caused by the suppression of unions created mostly by unskilled workers‒ that would contribute to the rapid rise and downfall of America. An example of this suppression is the Homestead Strike of 1892; due to hostility created by the unions, the employer fired all the workers, and rehired them on the basis that there would not be any more unions. After the workers started working again, the conditions were still unbearable, so the workers shut down the facility. The police got involved, the workers were pushed back, and the facility was reopened union free.
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.
The unions resorted to many forms of tactics such as boycotts, picketing, and the less prominent “closed shop”. The most prevalent of these methods, however, was the formation of riots. During the late 19th century riots included: the Haymarket Square Riots (1886), the Homestead Lockout, and the Pullman Car Company strike. The Haymarket Square Riots of 1886 took place at the McCormick plant in Chicago, Illinois in response to the worker’s need for an eight hour workday. The first two days were innate, but the third day was where the the situation actually instigated the cause. The owner of the plant, McCormick, attempted to bring strikebreakers (scabs), and a battle had begun between the scabs and the strikers. The riot, wistfully, ended the lives of four men when the police began to attempt to impede and halter the situation. These four deaths initiated a chain reaction resulting in the calling for the revenge of the four men by German radical Johann Most. Despite Johann’s reaction, 200 more Chicago policemen ordered the remaining strikers to leave the area. In the crowd, in the moment, a homemade bomb was hurled leading in the death of one policeman; acting as a predecessor of events, this event lead to a shooting between the policemen and the strikers concluding with the death of four workers and seven more policemen; entirely approximately one hundred people were injured. The Haymarket Riots caused public opinion to turn against labor. The Homestead Lockout took place in Homestead, Pennsylvania at Andrew Carnegie’s steel plant and was instigated by Henry Clay Frick’s wage cut. In this riot workers walked out of the company and then Frick ordered company doors to be locked and trapped the workers inside. Employees rebelled and caused about 200 Pinkerton detectives to come up the river to protect company property and created a battle.
There were too many people and there was not enough organization and events in the strike for it to be effective. The strikers plan was weak and they did not have a real style of leadership. It was also hard for the laborers to gain support from the public. Since the great depression, lots of people were scared of what would happen if the mills failed. Some people did not see the dangerous working conditions and could not understand why the union was on strike (Wave, 2012). Most importantly, the strikers could not gain support from the newly elected democratic president. President Roosevelt’s new administration did not benefit the workers and certainly left the middle and lower class in a bind. Since the president’s administration did not support laborers, neither could the state
The Coal Strike of 1902 occurred as a result of many problems that were faced by miners. At the time of the coal strike there were 150,000 miners working in the mines (Grossman) Due to the depression of 1893, miners had their wages cut and were living in poverty (Grossman). Many miners were dissatisfied and looked to the United Mine Workers for support in raising their standard of living. This proved difficult since employers refused to recognize labor unions for fear of giving them significant control over the industry. In most instances of employee demands before 1902, employers would use government troops or hire immigrants to take the jobs of the strikers (David Kennedy).
...the Second World War in an effort to maximize America’s mechanical output and help win the war, Lincoln gave away proprietary information to competing companies.. This cost the company competitive advantage, and in turn profits, for several years after the war, but based on their skills and adaptability, they were able to out stripe the competition soon after. We are also told that Lincoln Electric will not fire an employee, which allows the workers to embrace change and progress, even if it means they will incur a short-term downturn in productivity. Upon some further reading, we were able to see that Lincoln electric came upon hard times in the 1980s, and lost 40% of its sales. Even in this time of hardship, they stuck to their promise of not firing an employee, and today they have regained all of their lost ground and are extremely profitable and productive.
Well-known events took place amidst intense labor negotiations which included the Haymarket Riot and the Pullman Strike.
The Winnipeg General Strike The year of 1919 has been one of the most influential years of strikes
The Town of Pullman: Success or Failure? The invention of the railroad was probably the most important occurrence in the nineteenth century. The United States became a unified front and interstate travel become safe, cheap and efficient. Industries related to the railroad began to prosper, fueling much of the American economy. Entrepreneurs quickly began to take advantage of this boom and thus “American Big Business” was born. George Pullman was one of the many prominent tycoons of this “Railroad Era”. Through the use of his talented ingenuity and high organizational skills, he acquired a vast fortune and immense power. George Pullman is most notably credited for the creation of the Pullman Sleeping Car. Its invention enhanced the pleasure of railroad travel by making it more comfortable, clean and exciting. As George Pullman’s invention gained quick public approval, his company began to expand at an enormous rate. This presented a great deal of problems to Pullman. “The company wanted to increase efficiency and economy in servicing and providing cars by spreading facilities. He [Pullman] wanted several hundred acres adjacent to railroad and water transportation.” In 1868, Pullman decided on the Calumet region in southern Chicago. Pullman selected the Calumet region because it offered “cheap land, low taxes, and excellent transportation.” Few people knew his second and main intention was to build a model town adjacent to the new factory, which he hoped would improve his business enterprise. Pullman was deeply troubled by the social problems of the mid- nineteenth century. He believed that they were the root of the labor unrest his company was experiencing. “The period showed a dramatic intensification in the numbers of the urban poor, as people with little capital and few useful skills came to the cities in search for employment.” Living conditions were terrible and congestion, dirt, and poor sanitation were held responsible for diseases. Crime, prostitution and violence were blamed on poor housing while alcoholism became synonymous with the slum. Many attributed the poverty and the poor living conditions of the working class to “the lack of such virtues such as frugality, industriousness and temperateness.” It was believed that the general solution to the problem of the workingman and his family was to elevate their character. Through Pullman’s experience ...