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The 1st Labor Day
The first labor day was created to celebrate contributions of labor to the growth of the U.S. It became a federal holiday in 1894 -
Great Southwest Railroad Strike
This strike of over 200,000 workers occurred against the Union and Missouri Pacific Railroad companies. This strike was unsuccessful for labor and represented a major defeat for the Knights of Labor. -
Haymarket Riot
Rally began as a peaceful protest of workers fighting for an 8 hour workday but turned violent after a bombing and police gunfire. The event, while unsuccessful in its goal, raised the social consciousness of many americans. -
AFL
The AFL was a national federation of labor union founded in 1886. Today, it is merged with the CIO as the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of labor unions in america. -
Homestead Strike
The Homestead strike was a strike among laborers at the Homestead steel mill due to a plan to reduce workers pay. This represented another hit to organized labor. -
Pullman Strike
This nationwide railroad strike broad the railroad business to a standstill. This was also the first time an injunction was used by the federal government to break a strike. -
Textile Workers Strike of 1934
This strike was the largest to this point in U.S. history, involving 400,000 textile workers. It was largely a loss for laborers, though, and many strikers never returned to work in textile mills. -
The Wagner Act
This act guaranteed the right of laborers to organize into unions to bargain with employers. Also, it guaranteed the right of workers to strike. -
1930s General Motors Sit Down Strike
Over 100,00 laborers participated in this sit down strike against the labor practiced of GM, This strike led to the UAW transforming into a major labor union. -
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938
This act established a minimum wage, as well as time and a half overtime pay. Also, it furthered the laws against child labor.
