Our client, the Union should not be responsible for the deaths and unruly behavior that belonged to the Pinkertons, as well as Henry Frick and Andrew Carnegie. These men were simply trying to attend work with a higher wage attached, as they had been working very hard long shifts, up to even twenty-four hour periods. Mr. Frick and Mr. Carnegie were not only working behind closed doors and hiding information from the public but were certainly living lavishly while these steelworkers were busting through every morning in order to gain what they needed to survive. These men were trying to negotiate in order to raise their salary from around two dollars, up to about ten dollars. Really, this was not a huge request, as the steel mill had been a successful business during this time period. Also, the Union went to their jobs for the sake of keeping their families financially stable, as well as having the opportunity to feel like they had …show more content…
With those accusations, each of these groups adds up to have approximately 1/3rd of the blame compared to the others who had been involved in the Homestead Strike conflict. The remaining groups were thought to not be so much of a threat to our client. Although Henry Frick was following along with what Andrew Carnegie said and wanted to do, he built up a fence that restricted more workers from entering or leaving. As there is blame on the Union, their actions were misunderstood by the rest of those who have actually done something harmful. These men were acting in a way to defend themselves, and the damage was mainly done by the Pinkertons. The Pinkerton soldiers were specifically sent out by Frick as an order to attack those who were striking, and there was a clear disadvantage when it came down to weaponry. There was no way that our client would have been able to fully support themselves since no one was available or willing to help them out in the first
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.
The leaders of big business didn’t give workers the rights they deserved. In the text, Captains of Industry or Robber Barons?, it states, “Workers were often forbidden to strike, paid very low wages, and forced to work very long hours.” This evidence is a perfect example of the dehumanization of workers. The employers treated their workers like interchangeable parts, which were easily replaced. The big business leaders started paying less attention to the working conditions, and more to the production rates, and money. They didn’t care about worker’s family or the worker’s wellbeing. Due to the horrible working conditions, the workers were more likely to be injured, and sometimes, die. The capitalists didn’t give their employees the rights and respect they deserved, because to them they were just unskilled, cheap labor. If the workers were unhappy, they would easily replace them with other unskilled workers. That’s why they were considered interchangeable parts. This evidence shows the big business leaders only cared about money, and didn’t treat their workers
This strike was a battle over several issues. One factor that escalated the strike intensity was the pensions battle. Billons of dollars in pensions were on the line. The Teamste...
It did not matter if a laborer lost a finger, the only thing that mattered to the businessmen was making more money. This was how life was working in the factory and it shows that the industries are taking advantage of the immigrants and forcing the less fortunate to work in deplorable circumstances.
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.
Upon hearing of an event which has become known as "The Haymarket Incident," a violent outbreak that involved strikers at the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company on May 4, 1886, William Dean Howells felt provoked to respond.1 Whatever personal motives this highly publicized incident sparked in Howells, who was successful novelist and influential critic of the literature and social issues of his time, the strike and subsequent executions of seven of the protesters involved had a trenchant effect on this respected man of letters. Howells illustrated his remorse for what he understood as a profound legal injustice in a letter he wrote to a friend shortly before the hanging of the Haymarket protesters: "It blackens my life. I feel the horror and the shame of the crime which the law is about to commit against justice."2
Blatant discrimination against African Americans and Hispanics was the norm in the 1950’s in many parts of the country. The miners are fighting for the same rights as the Anglo or white miners, who are safer because they are able to work in pairs. The company uses the fact that the miners were minorities as an excuse to not take them seriously. They think that they are lazy and would give up on the strike easily. At one point the company men say the Mexican miners are like children, and should be treated that
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...
The industrialists, or robber barons, provided workers with low wages, long work hours, and unsafe working conditions. Andrew Carnegie, a wealthy steel manufacturer, provided horrible conditions for his workers. With dropping steel prices, Henry C. Frick, the manager of the homestead steel plant, wanted to drastically cut wages; have laborers work a twelve-hour day, six days a week; and destroy the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers Union. Carnegie supported Frick’s views, which no Captain of Industry, or someone concerned with “moving forward”, not just growing their wealth, would have agreed with. Due to the poor conditions given to Carnegie’s workers, they went on the Homestead Plant workers strike. The workers ultimately lost and poor working conditions were still in play. Some could argue that Frick was the one being unfair towards workers, not Carnegie; however, Carnegie hired Frick to be the manager of the steel plant and he agreed with his views. The businessmen were against unions, fair wages, and improved worker conditions. The industrials of the 1900s were robber barons that only cared if their workers were working to make them
A common trend was always that wages were not keeping up with the cost of living. Many could not make ends meet and were struggling to simply survive. They started to question the effectiveness of the National Recovery Administration (N.R.A.). It was unfair to them that businesses were still making enormous profits while its employees were forced into poverty. Pushing for a unionization was disowned by factories where they threatened to close their doors if a worker’s union formed. Some thought businesses were crooked and angled themselves to take advantage of the economy to increase their
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.
In 1893 the U.S went through a depression that might have been more of a panic. The depression was led by a series of shock that undermined public confidence and brought the economy down. For instant the Amalgamated Association unions contract that skilled iron – and steelworker among a complex of 3,800 people. The chapters state that, “the union gave the Amalgamated Association a considerable say in their operation, including the right to approve the hiring of new workers and to regulate the pace of work”. It’s clear that the union is giving the owners and the employee’s rights to and for work. However when the union came on board the both Henry Clay Frick and Carnegie secure the surroundings of homestead and fire they entire work force
...ion was the chance for change. The workers went along, but in the end, they let their anger for the Company get the best of them. Instead of using the power of word, they were greedy and violent. The workers had blown their chance for reformed working conditions. And with that, I sympathize with the miners. They then had to go back to the old way of the iron law, and harsh living conditions, all because they couldn’t control their emotions. “Today the same slave labour was beginning all over again, as dangerous and as badly paid as every. Just over there, seven hundred metres under the ground, he could almost hear the steady, ceaseless clunk of picks as his black comrades, the very comrades he had seen going down that morning, dug away at the coal in silent fury.”
...had to help work outside the home so there would be more money. Mary and the other women would board other people to earn money for the household, while the men would work the factory. Once the war started, there were less immigrants comming to America and the ones that did wanted more extravegant living conditions. George comes to live with MAry and they help eachother with paying for the household. John Joseph starts to work at the mill later on and Msry becomes sick. The mill gets the A.F.L looking at the mill and the tension makes it to where wrokers are given time-and-a-half after they work over eight hours. The fear of the union is what was roomered as to why this change occured. Strikes at the mill make Joseph leaveand work in construction. HE does go back to the mill and the strike end later on. Workers now get 10% increase in thier pay. Later on, Mary dies.