I.

Labor: 1820s to Civil War

A. Industrial conditions 1. Long working hours and dangerous working conditions. 2. Child labor is common. 3. Labor unions were illegal. 4. Pre-Jackson era laboring people did not vote B. Martin Van Buren grants the ten hour day for government employees 1840. C. Commonwealth v. Hunt Unions are not illegal conspiracies provided they are honorable and peaceful

II. Labor: Civil War to the Great War

A. The National Labor Union 1866 1. First large scale union 600K members 2. Skilled and unskilled a. They have different bargaining leverage 3. Fought for 8 hour work day B. Immigration tips the scale in favor of owners 1. Supply exceeds demand limits power of union C. Owners break strikes routinely 1. lockouts, black listing, yellow dog contracts, scabs

II. Labor: Civil War to the Great War contd

D. Knights of Labor founded 1869 1. An injury to one is a concern to all. 2. Skilled and unskilled, blacks, and women 3. Founded by Terrance Powderly 4. Goal is to empower and create union owned businesses smaller and not factory based a. Bygone era 5. Rejection of socialism 6. Collapses after Haymarket square (1886) incident a. Tied to anarchists

II. Labor: Civil War to the Great War contd

E. American Federation of Labor (1886) 1. Founded by Samuel Gompers 2. Elitist skilled, white workers only 3. Pure unionism for better wages, working hours, conditions unlike the Knights 4. Federation of local unions 5. Major goal Closed shop 6. Pro-capitalist/anti-socialist

II. Labor: Civil War to the Great War contd

F. Homestead Strike 1892 1. General strike against Carnegie steel factory in Homestead, PA 2. Viciously put down by Pinkerton security guards 3. Important event inspiring labor 4. Symbolic of government laissez-faire toward business and labor G. Pullman Car Strike - 1894 1.Eugene Debs leads the strike 2. Federal troops brought in to stop the strike 3. AFL does not support the strike b/c workers are not skilled workers 4. Another example of government support of big business

III. Labor: The Great War to WWII

A. The Great War 1. AFL gets on board and supports war a. few strikes and stoppages i. Rising union membership and wages B. Labor faces opposition in 1920s 1. Red scare, anarchism, and anti-immigration a. Labor suffers as they are tied to all 3 C. Rise and fall of the Wobblies founded 1905 Industrial Workers of the World 1. Name comes a model known as the wobbly shop which features workplace democracy 2. They are ardent socialists a. abolish the wage system b. all workers in world should be united c. 100,000 members in 23 but by end of decade they are not much of a force

III. Labor: The Great War to WWII

D. Labor during the Depression 1. NRA gives unions the right to organize and bargain with their own representatives 2. Unions are viewed far more favorably by the ultra-progressive Roosevelt administration a. Laissez-faire is taking a backseat to governmental activism vis--vis labor i. Wagner Act of 1935 is the mechanism which allows unions to strike and organize ii. Bacon-Davis act (1931)requires Union wages on all government sponsored contracts E. Congress of Industrial Organization CIO 1. Founded in 1935 within the AFL. 2. Leads two great campaigns against US Steel and against General Motors gaining union recognition in two of Americas greatest industries a. sit-down strike b. rejects craft unionism in favor of single industry worker model organize sectors of industry not by craft auto worker v. electricians in factories

IV. Labor: World War II and beyond

A. Support of the war 1. Unions generally support the war less than 1% lost productivity to strike 2. Unions constrained by the Smith-Connolly Anti-Strike Act 3. Unions grudgingly support wage ceilings in industry B. Taft-Hartley Act 1. rolls back labor gains outlaws closed shops and requires nonCommunist oaths C. Peaking Union Membership 1. Based on large scale automobile and military production Union membership peaks in 54 with 35% of Americans belonging to Unions C. AFL-CIO merger in 56 D. Cesar Chavez 1965-1975 1. Active in organizing farm workers UFW.