Essay The Early 20th Century Labor Movement

The movement in organized labor from 1875 to 1900 to improve the position of workers was unsuccessful because of the inherent weaknesses of unions and the failures of their strikes, the negative public attitudes toward organized labor, widespread government corruption, and the tendency of government to side with big business. After the Civil there was a push to industrialize quickly, and the rushed industrialization was at the expense of the workers as it led to bigger profits for big business and atrocious working conditions for them; conditions that included long working hours, extremely low wages, and the exploitation of children and immigrants.

Robert Wagner, the state senate majority leader, and Alfred E. Smith created bills which led to the Factory Investigating Commission Law that passed on June 30, 1911. Outraged citizens demanded change from Tammany Hall, which was very pro-business, only looking out for people who could give them money. People wanted the government to show that they could represent all people and all workers, not just the wealthy and privileged. Al Smith and Robert Wagner set up a factory investigating commission, which brought along many leading reformers, such as Frances Perkins, who later became the first female Secretary of Labor, Rose Schneiderman, a labor union activist, and Clara Lemich, the “Catalyst of the Shirtwaist Uprising.” The Factory Investigating Commission had investigations all over the state. They looked at fire precautions, wages, and hours. Smith and Wagner even personally inspected the factories, and they were amazed to see young girls working twelve to fourteen hour work days. After four years, the commission ended its investigations and thirty-six of the laws it drafted were passed in New York. Also, in October, the Sullivan-Hoey Fire Prevention Law was

Wages were very low for the amount of work people were expected to do. People would only make anywhere from $1.25-$1.50 for the entire 10-12 hour workday. Not only were these wages extremely low, but employees often lived in expensive company housing which left barely any money for the other necessities of life. Nobody was satisfied with the wages during this time period but another struggle was the long hours. People worked 60-80 hour work weeks in the hot overcrowded factories, only doing one monotonous job. Lastly, the boss was very distant from the work crowd and there was little to no contact between the two groups. Also, the workers were very controlled by the foreman. The doors were locked on all floors to prevent theft during the day and bathroom breaks would be monitored by a floor manager. Overall, during the late 1800’s everyone was overworked and underpaid and this led to many troubles as years went on.

In the second half of the nineteenth century trade unionism became much more recognized by governments. The government recognized that it is the right of workers to organize. This fundamental common law principle became a freedom of contract or the concept that people should be free to make bargains with each other and that the law should enforce such contracts if necessary. This became legalized in the year 1871 and by the year 1875 picketing also became legal. By the year 1884 these unions became legalized by France’s Third Republic and also in Germany in 1890. These unions became corporations able to own property and to sue and be sued. This enabled these unions

In the late 1800s and the early 1900s, labor was anything but easy. Factory workers faced long hours, low pay, high unemployment fears, and poor working conditions during this time. Life today is much easier in comparison to the late 1800s. Americans have shorter days, bigger pay and easier working conditions. Not comparable to how life is today, many riots sparked, and citizens began to fight for equal treatment. Along with other important events, the Haymarket Riot, the Pullman Strike, and the Homestead strike all play a vital role in illustrating labor’s struggle to gain fair and equitable treatment during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

During the Progressive Era of the Gilded Age, many laborers were being mistreated by the companies that they worked for. Because of this, workers started forming labor unions or organized association of workers, formed to protect and further their rights and interests. Many of these labor unions failed, while few of them achieved their goals and still exist today. Many factors contributed to the failure of these labor unions. The labor unions were given a bad image, the reason for this was the media, and they did this by publishing articles depicting the unions as violent, communist groups. The government supported big business during this time, since the government had a lot of power; this was a huge setback in the labor unions’ battles.

The late nineteenth century was a time of great change for people everywhere. Industries became staples of society in almost every major city; farming became more efficient due to steel and machines, and more jobs were available because of all the new industries. Between 1865 and 1900, the number of people employed in manufacturing rose from 1.3 million to 4.5 million. Working conditions were terrible, providing long hours, low wages, and unhealthy conditions. Millions of people were denied the basic amenities that their labor made possible for others.1 When reviewing drive for monopolies, Edward Bellamy, author of Looking Backward, wrote that "The individual laborer, who had

In the 1930s, the labor movement grew to a membership of five million under the leadership of Samuel Gompers. It was also characterized by several challenges such as the depression, employer counteroffensive, and the wobbly economy. Other notable events of the 30s are the Norris-LaGuardia Act, the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933, and the Wagner Act of 1935 which were created to protect workers. Subsequently, the Norris-LaGuardia and Wagner acts declared that unionization and collective bargaining should play a role in the United States public policy.

LABOR UNION, LAUNCHED IN 1866, AND THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR, WHICH REACHED ITS ZENITH IN THE MID-1880S. ON THEIR FACE, THESE REFORM MOVEMENTS MIGHT HAVE SEEMED AT ODDS WITH TRADE UNIONISM, AIMING AS THEY DID AT THE COOPERATIVE COMMONWEALTH RATHER THAN A HIGHER WAGE, APPEALING BROADLY TO ALL "PRODUCERS" RATHER THAN STRICTLY TO WAGEWORKERS, AND ESCHEWING THE TRADE UNION RELIANCE ON THE STRIKE AND BOYCOTT. BUT CONTEMPORARIES SAW NO CONTRADICTION: TRADE UNIONISM TENDED TO THE WORKERS'' IMMEDIATE NEEDS, LABOR REFORM TO THEIR HIGHER HOPES. THE TWO WERE HELD TO BE STRANDS OF A SINGLE MOVEMENT, ROOTED IN A COMMON WORKING-CLASS CONSTITUENCY AND TO SOME DEGREE SHARING A COMMON

The labor movement in the United States has had a turbulent history with not being equal to all in society. A key demographic that has fought for equality up to the present day is women. The time period following the second World War was a time in which the United States thrived economically and socially, separating themselves as the sole “world superpower”. During the War, many women enter the workforce to help with the rapid production that was necessary to meet the demands of the military. When the War ended, many women saw their jobs lost to returning veterans. They were sent back to their homes to take care of their families. The post World War II time poised as an obstacle for women in the workforce. They were coming off of a high that they experienced by not having to stay in the home all day and tend to chores and their husband’s wishes. They no longer had to rely on their husband’s money because for the first time they were finally making their own. The working opportunities during the second World War created a feminist liberation that could not be oppressed when the men returned home. It instead jumpstarted women’s focus on their independence.

Throughout American history, many cultures have come to the United States in search of a better life. Some cultural groups were brought here as indentured servants. In many cases these different cultural groups have been separated from main stream culture, and have been exploited for labor. Many of these people have become naturalized citizens, but were not subjected to the same equality of the dominant Anglo Saxon race. Some individuals from these cultures began families, and even though their children were born as American citizens, they were still treated as alien. A comparison and contrast between four such cultures, African American, Asian American, Native American, and Mexican American will demonstrate the oppression that these groups faced in terms of labor and how they reacted.

Working conditions in the 1800ś were bad. By the end of the day for the workers, they had worked approximately 11.4 hours. Workers became very tired and more likely to have more accidents. Many of the factory machines had eagerly move parts. Workers, especially the children, were often hurt by the machines. The factories didn't have a cooling or heating systems. In the winter, the workers were cold. In the summer, the workers were hot. There were no laws to help or control the working conditions or the workers. The owners of the factory often cared more about making money than about the employee's safety. It was hard on the children to work 6days a week and at least 12 or more hours a day. The work was extremely hard and dangerous. The

It has been said, perhaps most prominently in a speech give by President John F. Kennedy (1963), that “. . . a rising tide lifts all boats.” That maxim is often spoken in reference to generalized economic prosperity, but it is especially relevant within the context of organized labor’s effect on all worker’s incomes. Studies have found that members of labor unions earn as much as 30 percent more in total compensation than their non-union counterparts (Payne, 2009), which is what economists have termed the union wage premium. This union wage premium varies according to what industry an individual is employed in, the geographical location of that employment and the educational attainment of a particular worker. Nonetheless, several studies show that the union wage premium does not only benefit union members, but it also has the peripheral effect of increasing wages for non-union workers of similar circumstance (Rosenfeld, Denice, & Laird, 2016; Brennan, 2016; Western & Rosenfeld, 2011).

The conditions of the aforementioned workers were improved greatly as a result of their efforts to organize and demand higher status as a response to industrialization. These responses started as local, then national, and ultimately international in nature. International organizations such as the International Workers of the World (IWW), who organized workers across racial and craft barriers, were able to unite large groups of people, which gave them a lot of power (Mason, 2010, p. 136). Many workers often went on strikes in order to improve their conditions, and were often successful but also failed and were repressed by the state. An example of this repression would be the African Mine Workers strike in 1946, which involved 60,000-80,000 workers, that was forcefully repressed by the state (Oberst, 1988, p. 126).

Labor Day is the first Monday in September and is a creation of the labor movement