From the beginning, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) set out to be a different. Rather than focusing on remolding American life and the institutions in control of American life, the AFL sought to better workers lives by securing higher wages, a shorter work day, and more favorable working conditions (Holley, Jennings, & Wolters, 2009). The AFL also divided membership up by trade, recognizing that different skilled trades had individualized needs (Holley, Jennings, & Wolters, 2009). The Haymarket Riot, Homestead Incident, and the Pullman Strike all played a role in the rise and decline of the AFL. The first event, the Haymarket Riot, was a delightful success for the newly created AFL under Samuel Gompers (Holley, Jennings, & Wolters, 2009). The Haymarket Riot sought to earn personnel a shorter work week (McNamara, 2012). The Riot ended violently. Public outcries against labor unions were fueled by negative press from the media (McNamara, 2012). The labor movement as a whole experienced a major setback as a result of the violence which negatively resonated among the general public (McNamara, 2012). The goal to earn a shorter working day failed. For the AFL though, the Riot was not a complete failure. The Knights of Labor (KOL), the leading labor union at the time, took a fatal blow. Union members of the KOL were disappointed with the union’s leaders following the riot; consequently many joined the AFL (Holley, Jennings, & Wolters, 2009). The Homestead Incident was a battle between the union and a powerful corporation with government backing in 1892 (History.com, 2012). The Homestead Incident began as a lockout when union workers refused to accept new terms of employment stipulated by the Carnegie Ste... ... middle of paper ... ...e Wagner Act of 1935. Retrieved from, http://www.stfrancis.edu/content/ba/ghkickul/stuwebs/btopics/works/wagner.htm Brendel, M. (1994). The Pullman Strike. Retrieved from, http://www.lib.niu.edu/1994/ihy941208.html History. Com. (2012). Homestead strike. Retrieved from, http://www.history.com/topics/homestead-strike Holley, W. H., Jennings, K. M., & Wolters, R. S. (2009). The labor relations process (9th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. McNamara, R. (2012). The 1886 Haymarket Square Riot in Chicago. Retrieved from, http://history1800s.about.com/od/organizedlabor/a/haymarket01.htm Nayab, N. (2011). A history of human resource management. Retrieved from, http://www.brighthub.com/office/project-management/articles/77387.aspx PBS. (2001). The origins of Labor Day. Retrieved from, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/business/july-dec01/labor_day_9-2.html
Between 1875 and 1891, wages rose from 169.2 to 172.5 and hours declined from 9.9 to 9.4 per day, indicating that the usage of unions attracted the attention of the heads of industry and caused for less work time and better compensation overall (DOC A). Peaceful labor forces, such as the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1886 by Samuel Gompers, demonstrated a different approach to the battle for better work conditions. Rather than violent riots, Gompers and other members of the group instead seeked to
Sloane. A. A., Witney, F. (2010). LABOR RELATIONS (13th editions). Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River, NJ
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.
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.
Life in the early 1900’s wasn’t easy. Competition for jobs was at an all time high, especially in New York City. Immigrants were flooding in and needed to find work fast, even if that meant in the hot, overcrowded conditions of garment factories. Conditions were horrid and disaster was inevitable, and disaster did strike in March, 1911. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York set on fire, killing 146 workers. This is an important event in US history because it helped accomplish the tasks unions and strikes had tried to accomplish years earlier, It improved working conditions in factories nationwide and set new safety laws and regulations so that nothing as catastrophic would happen again. The workplace struggles became public after this fire, and the work industry would never remain the same again.
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.
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.
The Industrial Revolution that took place after the Civil War made for a more economically sound country. American workers, however, were becoming more and more dependent upon their wages; a fear of unemployment also stemmed from this. Workers didn’t share in the benefits that their employers reaped. In a chart representing the hours and wages of industrial workers, from 1875 to 1891, it shows that even though their wages were subtly increasing, their 10-hour work day remained the same (Doc. A). Factories were headed by large corporations; this, in turn, meant that new machines lessened the amount of workers in certain fields. As a result of these unsuitable conditions, labor unions were formed. The challenges that these unions faced weren’t easy. If the workers involved in organized labor got too far out of line, these corporations could get federal authorities involved. Moreover, these companies could enforce “ironclad oaths” upon their employees. In a Western Union Telegraph Company employee contract, in 1883, it states that the employee will not be affiliated with any societies or organizations (Doc. E). Despite such setbacks, by 1872 there were over 32 national unions.
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.
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.
Early after the adaptation of the AFL, the group "…proved more adept at winning strikes and making gains for members." The members of the AFL decided to minimize their risk to get hired by employers with less demand to gain more influence in the job market. After gaining power in the larger industries, the AFL then began to make clear and just demands to employers and “…limited their demands to improved wages and working conditions.” The AFL realized that to achieve their goals they would have to compromise and take small victories. that they could not refute. This method proved successful after the newly founded Federation starting to win most of the strikes that they participated in. Even though “…employers made it clear that they would do everything possible to destroy the labor movement.”, the AFL stood strong for many years to come. At the end of 1955, the AFL merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations otherwise known as CIO. Together, the AFL-CIO alliance proved to be the most successful union to date, without fourteen million members. Through all the little turmoil and public distressed which stemmed from the Haymarket bombings, created a more unified labor organization union in the United States. The AFL was unified around keeping it pure and simple. For many activists today,
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).
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
Traditional literature in the field of labor relations has focused immensely on its benefit towards the employer and in the process equating it to working rules. This has been so despite the field being expected to cover the process of, labor management, union formation, and collective bargain; all which are anticipated to create a positive employer-employee relationship. This relationship is said to be positive if there exist a balance between employment functions and the rights of the laborer. Also important to note, is that this relation is equally important to the public sector as it is to the private one. Therefore, to ensure a mutually conducive labor environment exists, effective labor management process and inclusive negotiation program should be adopted (Mulve 2006; Walton, 2008).
Holley, William H, Kenneth M. Jennings, and Roger S. Wolters. The Labor Relations Process. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.