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The Noble Order of the Knights of Labor
was a union organized by Philadelphia garment workers. It was opened to farmers, merchants, and wage earners. They wanted equal pay for equal work, abolition of child labor, and 8 hour work days. -
The First Labor Day
President Cleveland made Labor day a national holiday. They made Labor day because they wanted to remember the many people who died trying to change the Working conditions of America. To celebrate they had a parade in Boston. -
American Federation of Labor
this group focused on better working conditions, better pay, and union labels on produced items. they were very craft oriented. it is most times refferred to as AFL. -
Haymarket Square Riot
In 1886 workers in chicago marched for an 8 hour day; they were protesting McComick Harvesting machine. The police camet o break up the strike. the end results were 8 policemen dead and 100's injured. Many people blamedthe Anarchists for the violence. At this time the goverment saw unions as a nusience. This event gave unions a bad reputation. -
How the Other Half Lives
"How the Other Half Lives "is a book written by Jacob Riis. It is about how New York was back in the 1800's. It shows how they made children work adult jobs. It also shows where most people lived. But most of all it exposed how bad it was in New York at that time. The book helped to make a law stating that children can't work until a certain age. -
The Homestead Strike
An industrial strike that started in june 1892. It was a battle between strikers and private security agents. This was one of the most serious disputes in the us labor history. The dispute happened at the town of Homestead, PA at the Homestead steel works in the Pittsburg Association of Iron and Steel Workers and the Carinige Stell Co. The final result was a huge defeat for the union, and a set back for efforts to unionize steelworkers. -
The Pullman Strike
Pullman was a company owned town built so workers could rent homes from, George Pullman, the owner. In 1893 rent was high and the workers wages were slashed due to the panic of 1893; pullman refused to lower the rent. Workers then went on strike and within days thousands of railroad workers went in 27 different states went on strike. This meant that there was no transpertation from chicago to the west coast. This gave the strikers a bad reputation. -
The Coal Strike
This was a strike by the United Mine Workers of America in the anthracite coal fields of eastern PA. The strike threatened to shut down the winter fuel suppy for all major cities. President Roosevelt stopped the strike by meeting the strikers' demands. For the first time the strikers' were being reconized by the goverment. -
The Jungle
The book was written about the meat packing industry in Chicago. The author of this book was Upton Snclair. This book exposed the horrible working conditions and the unsanitary method of packing. -
The Bitter Cry of Children
this was a book written by John Spargo. He wrote about the horrific conditions of the mines. In his book he mentions that at age 8 most children are working in the mines . When he went and saw for himself how the mines were he was astounded at how the children had to sit and bend over all day and pick slate and coal form the carts. They did this with there bare hands so often children would injure themselves while working. -
Pure Food and Drug Act
this law meant that the united states federal law provided federal inspection of meat products and didn't allow the manufacture, sale, or transpertation of adulterated food products and harmful patent medicines. -
Triangle Shirt Factory Fire
Was the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of New York. The fire caused 146 workers to die from the fire or jumping out of the building. Many workers also died because the doors were locked. This helped to make safety standards for other factories. -
Congress of Industrial Organization
This organization was apart of the AFL until 1935. They broke away because they wanted more of an industrial line rather than craft lines. after 20 years it reintergrated into the AFL. This helped to have support for industrial workers. -
The National Labor Relations Act
This act, otherwise known as the Wagner Act, was pro labor. They also reconized the labor's right to organize legally. Now the goverment had the power to punish unfair labor practices. Lastly, they created a National Labor Relations board. -
The GM Sit-down-Strike
the GM strike was a strike by the General Motors workers that shut down plant operations in Michigan and other cities for 2 months. This meant that for 2 months workers went to work but just sat there. President Rooselvelt convinced GM's management to talk with the strike leaders and negotiate a contract with UAW, the strikers' representitives. This sit down strike inspired othes to do the same. -
Fair Labor Standards Act
For the first time there was a minimum age of employment and hours of work for children. And all of this is regulated by the federal law. This would mean that thousands of children would now go to school and not have to work adult jobs. -
Steel Strike
Was a strike by the United Steel Workers of America. they went against the U.S. Steel and 9 other steel makers. the strike was supposed to happen in April but president truman Nationalized the American steel industry hours before the workers went on strike. The steel companies sued the goverment saying that it wasn't the goverments right to take conrol of the steel industry. the us Court ruled in favor of the steel companies. -
Major League Baseball Strike
this baseball strike was the first baseball strike in baseball history. Baseball resumed when the owners and players agreed on a 500,000 increase in pension fund payments and to add salary raises. the 86 games that weren't played because of the strike were not made up because they refused to pay the players for the time they were on strike. -
New York City Transit Strike
The strike was called by the Transit Workers Union Local 100. The negotiations failed over retirement, pension, and wage increases. When the strike ocurred no one was able to get any where so the strike was ended 2 days later and negotiations were made. This showed that any one could go on strike.
