Objective 2.3 -- Workers and Labor Unions

Summary

The Gilded Age saw the exploitation of labor with low wages and dangerous conditions, prompting the formation of labor unions like the National Labor Union and the Knights of Labor, advocating for better wages and conditions. The American Federation of Labor and the Industrial Workers of the World emerged, representing skilled and unskilled workers, respectively. Unions used collective bargaining and strikes to negotiate with employers, leading to significant labor events like the Great Strike of 1877 and the Pullman Strike. These movements influenced business decisions and politics, leading to the establishment of Labor Day to honor the labor movement's contributions.

Takeaways

• 🏭 The Gilded Age saw the exploitation of labor with new technologies replacing skilled and unskilled workers, leading to low wages and poor working conditions.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Families, including children, had to work long hours in dangerous conditions to survive, with a high risk of injury or death.
• 👷‍♂️ Workers demanded change and began to consolidate into labor unions to negotiate better wages and conditions with their employers.
• 🔗 The National Labor Union (NLU) was one of the earliest labor unions in the U.S., advocating for an eight-hour workday.
• 🤝 The Knights of Labor focused on individual workers and called for equal pay for women, highlighting the early push for gender equality in the workforce.
• 🛠️ The American Federation of Labor (AFL), founded by Samuel Gompers, organized skilled labor in craft unions, emphasizing the value of specific skills to employers.
• 🌎 The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), led by Eugene V. Debs, represented unskilled labor and called for a radical socialist revolution against capitalist greed.
• 🤝 Collective bargaining was a key strategy used by unions to negotiate with employers, leveraging the strength of numbers for better outcomes.
• 🚫 Strikes were used as a powerful tool by unions to pressure firms by threatening to shut down operations and causing economic loss.
• 📅 Several defining events in labor history include the Great Strike of 1877, the Haymarket Affair in 1886, and the Pullman Strike, which led to federal intervention and the assertion of government power.
• 🎉 Labor unions have become a significant political force, influencing business decisions and shaping political discourse around workers' rights and conditions, culminating in the establishment of Labor Day.

Q & A

What was the dark side of the success of big business during the Gilded Age?

The dark side was the exploitation of labor, where new technologies and innovations made workers less valuable, leading to low wages, dangerous working conditions, and the use of child labor.

Why were children more prone to injury during the Gilded Age?

Children were more prone to injury because they were able to manipulate machinery in ways adults could not, such as reaching into machines to fix them without taking them apart, which made their work more dangerous.

What were the main demands of the National Labor Union (NLU)?

The main demand of the NLU was for an eight-hour workday for all workers, as they typically worked 12 to 14 hours a day.

What was the focus of the Knights of Labor regarding equal pay?

The Knights of Labor focused on individuals and called for equal pay for women, highlighting gender equality in the workforce.

Who founded the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and what was its approach to organizing labor?

The AFL was founded by labor leader Samuel Gompers and organized skilled labor through craft unionism, where workers had specific skills that were valuable to their bosses.

What is the difference between craft unionism and industrial unionism as represented by the AFL and the IWW?

Craft unionism, represented by the AFL, organizes skilled labor with specific skills, making them more valuable and harder to replace. Industrial unionism, represented by the IWW, organizes unskilled and semi-skilled laborers, focusing on a broader range of workers in factories.

What was the goal of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and its founder, Eugene V. Debs?

The IWW, led by Eugene V. Debs, aimed to organize unskilled and semi-skilled laborers and believed that capitalist greed had failed American workers. They called for a radical socialist revolution in America.

What is collective bargaining and why is it important for unions?

Collective bargaining is when unions negotiate deals with their bosses as a group, leveraging strength in numbers to gain more power in negotiations and achieve better conditions for workers.

What is a strike and how was it used by labor unions to pressure firms?

A strike is a work stoppage used by unions to pressure firms by shutting down their factories, threatening the loss of profits, and demanding better conditions or wages.

What were some significant events that defined the era of labor organizing in the United States?

Significant events include the Great Strike of 1877 over wage cuts, the Haymarket affair in 1886 which turned violent, and the Pullman Strike where workers struck against the town created by George Pullman.

Why is Labor Day celebrated and what does it commemorate?

Labor Day is celebrated at the end of August and early September every year to commemorate the contributions of the labor movement in America, recognizing the efforts to improve working conditions and rights for workers.

Outlines

00:00

🏭 Dark Side of Industrial Success

The Gilded Age's prosperity for big businesses came at the cost of labor exploitation. Workers faced low wages, necessitating family-wide employment for survival, including child labor. Dangerous working conditions led to frequent injuries and deaths. Workers endured long hours without benefits, poor sanitation, and unsafe environments. In response, labor unions emerged as collective entities to demand better wages and conditions, starting with the National Labor Union advocating for an eight-hour workday. The Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor (AFL) followed, with the AFL focusing on skilled labor, while the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), led by Eugene V. Debs, aimed for a socialist revolution, advocating for unskilled laborers and criticizing capitalist greed.

05:01

🔨 The Power of Labor Unions

Labor unions played a pivotal role in advocating for workers' rights, influencing big businesses to prioritize more than just profit. They pushed for improved working conditions and fair wages, becoming a significant political force in America. Politicians had to address workers' rights to gain support. Key events, such as the Great Strike of 1877, Haymarket Affair, and the Pullman Strike, marked the labor movement's struggles and victories. These events led to federal intervention and the eventual recognition of workers' rights. Labor Day is celebrated to honor the movement's contributions to American society, emphasizing the importance of workers' rights and fair labor practices.

Keywords

💡Gilded Age

The Gilded Age refers to the late 19th century in the United States, marked by rapid economic growth and industrialization, but also by significant social issues such as income inequality and labor exploitation. In the video, it's the era where big businesses flourished at the cost of worker welfare, setting the stage for the labor movement.

💡Exploitation of labor

Exploitation of labor denotes the unfair treatment and utilization of workers, often involving low wages, poor working conditions, and lack of rights. The script highlights how during the Gilded Age, workers were undervalued and replaced by machinery, exemplifying the exploitation they faced.

💡Labor unions

Labor unions are organizations that represent the collective interests of workers and negotiate with employers for better working conditions and wages. The video discusses the formation of unions like the National Labor Union and the Knights of Labor, showing their role in advocating for workers' rights.

💡Monopolies

Monopolies are situations where a single company or group dominates a market, often resulting in reduced competition and increased control over prices and wages. The script mentions workers consolidating into labor unions, which acted as a counterbalance to the monopolistic practices of businesses.

💡Eight-hour workday

The eight-hour workday is a standard work shift that has become common, advocating for a balance between work and personal life. The National Labor Union's main demand in the video was for an eight-hour workday, reflecting the excessive hours workers were enduring at the time.

💡Craft unionism

Craft unionism is a type of labor organization that focuses on skilled workers in specific trades. The American Federation of Labor (AFL), as mentioned in the script, practiced craft unionism, which leveraged the specialized skills of its members to negotiate better conditions.

💡Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) is a labor union that organizes both skilled and unskilled workers, advocating for industrial unionism. The script describes the IWW as founded by Eugene V. Debs, who called for a radical socialist revolution in response to the failures of capitalism towards workers.

💡Collective bargaining

Collective bargaining is the process by which workers, represented by a union, negotiate with employers for better conditions and wages. The video explains this as a strategy used by unions to gain more power in negotiations, as团结 is strength in numbers.

💡Strikes

Strikes are work stoppages initiated by workers to pressure employers for concessions, such as better pay or improved conditions. The script recounts the use of strikes by various unions, including the American Federation of Labor, as a tool to exert economic pressure.

💡Child labor

Child labor refers to the employment of children in jobs and tasks that are inappropriate for their age. The video describes the common practice of child labor during the Gilded Age, where children as young as six were employed to perform dangerous tasks due to their small size.

💡Labor Day

Labor Day is a public holiday celebrated to honor the contributions of workers to the economy and society. The script concludes by mentioning Labor Day as a commemoration of the labor movement's impact in America, showing the lasting legacy of the struggles and achievements of workers.

Highlights

The Gilded Age saw the exploitation of labor with new technologies replacing skilled and unskilled workers.

Low wages during this era required entire families, including children, to work for survival.

Workers faced dangerous conditions with a high rate of injury or death on the job.

Laborers had to endure long hours without sick leave or vacation, and poor factory sanitation.

Child labor was prevalent, with children starting work at age six and performing hazardous tasks due to their size.

In response to harsh conditions, workers began to form labor unions to demand better wages and conditions.

The National Labor Union (NLU) was one of the earliest labor unions, advocating for an eight-hour workday.

The Knights of Labor emerged, focusing on individual workers and advocating for equal pay for women.

As unions grew, specialized groups like the American Federation of Labor (AFL) formed to represent skilled labor.

The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) was founded to represent unskilled labor and called for a socialist revolution.

Eugene V. Debs, a spokesman for industrial unionism, ran for president under the Socialist Party in 1912.

Unions used strategies like collective bargaining and strikes to negotiate better conditions with employers.

The Great Strike of 1877 was a significant event where railroad workers protested wage cuts, leading to riots.

The Haymarket Affair in 1886 was a turning point where a labor protest escalated into violence with a bomb thrown at police.

The Pullman Strike showcased the power struggle between workers and management, ending with federal intervention.

Labor unions have made big businesses consider workers' welfare, leading to improved conditions and wages.

Labor unions have become a political force, influencing politicians to address workers' rights and conditions.

Labor Day is celebrated to commemorate the contributions of the labor movement in America.

Transcripts

the success of big business in the

Gilded Age had a dark side

it was the exploitation of labor new

technologies and innovations made

workers less valuable to firms skilled

and unskilled labor were replaced by new

machinery and new equipment in all areas

of the workforce workers received low

wages wages were so low that everyone in

the family needed to work in order for

the family to survive including young

children working conditions were so

dangerous that one in every 300 workers

were either injured or killed on the job

workers also faced long hours most

workers had to work seven days a week 12

hours a day with no sick leave and no

vacation and poor sanitation most

factories had dirty floors and poor

ventilation you need to help problems

for the workers inside child labor was a

common practice during the Gilded Age

here you can see some images of children

working children started working at the

age of six children typically did

dangerous work because they were able to

manipulate machinery in ways that larger

adults could not they could reach into

machines and fix them without having to

take them apart this also made children

more prone to injury due to these

conditions workers demanded change these

workers follow the example of robber

barons and merged and consolidated into

monopolies of the workforce these

monopolies were called labor unions

workers wanted to get better wages and

better working conditions from their

bosses among the earliest labor unions

that formed in the United States was the

national labor union also known as the

NLU it linked 300 unions in 13 different

states into one central labor union

group the main demand of the national

labor union was for an eight-hour

workday for all workers workers

typically worked 12 to 14 hours a day

the next labor union is the Knights of

Labor the Knights of Labor focused on

individuals and called for equal pay for

women as unions became more popular and

union membership grew across the country

the representation began to splinter

more groups were needed to focus

attention on specific types of workers

one such group was the American

Federation of Labor also known as the

AFL founded by labor leader Samuel

Gompers the AFL organized skilled labor

in what we call craft unionism the craft

in craft unionism refers to the fact the

workers represented by the AFL had

specific skills that were valuable to

their bosses this made it harder to

replace them and therefore made them

more valuable the next labor union is

the Industrial Workers of the world also

known as the iw is founded by Eugene

v-dubs Debs was a spokesman for

industrial unionism Debs organized

unskilled and semi-skilled laborers

these are workers that typically worked

in factories Eugene V Debs and the IWW

believe that capitalist greed had failed

American workers

and called for a radical socialist

revolution in America Debs and his ideas

became so popular that he ran for

president under the Socialist Party in

1912 actually winning some votes in

order to achieve their goals unions use

diverse strategies some of these

strategies were peaceful some not so

peaceful one strategy was collective

bargaining collective bargaining was

when unions negotiated deals with their

bosses as a group the principle behind

collective bargaining is strength in

numbers if you negotiate on your own

it's easier for your boss to deny what

you want if you negotiate as a group it

gives you a little bit more power in

your negotiation the next strategy that

was used with strikes strikes are work

stoppages in which unions would pressure

firms with shutting down their factories

with the threat of losing profits

strikes were used in various degrees by

various unions the AFL struct often

while the Knights of Labor you striking

as a last resort with their newfound

power and different techniques of

negotiation there are several events

that came to define the new era of labor

organizing

the first was the great strike of 1877

railroad workers struck over wage cuts

that resulted in riots across the city

which was put down by federal troops

squares of striking workers were killed

and the federal government asserted its

power to regulate commerce in the

Constitution by using force to put down

a strike the next event is the Haymarket

affair in 1886 a labor protest rally

near Chicago's Haymarket Square turned

into a riot after someone threw a bomb

at police at least eight people died as

a result of the violence that day the

third event is the Pullman Strike do you

remember the town of Pullman created by

railroad magnate George Pullman workers

eventually struck against Pullman and

stopped all work in the town in order to

break up the effectiveness of the strike

Pullman brought in scabs scabs are

workers who are hired to replace

striking workers eventually the Pullman

Strike was broken up by the feds and the

town collapsed so why does it matter

labor unions forced big business

consider workers when making their

decisions it was no longer purely about

profit it was now about working

conditions and higher wages for their

workers labor unions also become a

political power in America they make

their voices heard with protests and

every politician who now runs for office

must address the rights of workers and

working conditions in order to get

working votes and finally we celebrate

Labor Day at the end of August and early

September every year to commemorate the

contributions of the labor movement in

America

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