IV. Unions • Workers tried to form unions in the late 1800s • Hoping to improve wages, hours, and working conditions • Business leaders worked with some unions • Generally opposed others • Strikes during this era sometimes led to violence • Hurt union’s image and slowed their growth
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IV. Unions Workers tried to form unions in the late 1800s Hoping to improve wages, hours, and working conditions Business leaders worked with some unions.
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IV. Unions• Workers tried to form unions in the late 1800s• Hoping to improve wages, hours, and working
conditions• Business leaders worked with some unions• Generally opposed others• Strikes during this era sometimes led to violence• Hurt union’s image and slowed their growth
Working in the United States
• Why did workers try to form unions in the late 1800s?
Working in the United States
• Life for workers was difficulto Dull repetitive taskso Breathed in lint, dust and toxic
fumeso Machines lacked safety devices
• Industrialism led to a dramatic rise in the standard of living
Working in the United States
• Average workers’ wages rose 50% between 1860 -1890
• Uneven division of wealth caused resentment
• 1900 average wage: 22 cents per hour and worked 59 hours a week
Working in the United States
• Deflation – a decline in the volume available money or credit that results in lower prices, and therefore increases the buying power of money
• 1865 -1897 deflation caused prices to fall
Working in the United States
• Increased buying power
• Companies cut wages• Late 1800s prices fell
even faster• Workers resented
getting less money• Needed unions to
bargain for higher wages and better conditions
Early Unions
• Two types of industrial workers- craft and common
• Craft workers were o Machinistso Iron molders o stone cutters o Shoemakerso printers
• Had special skills and received higher wages
Early Unions
• Common workerso Had few skillso Received lower wages
• 1830s craft workers form trade unions
• 1873 – 30 national unions
• 3 largesto Iron Molders Internationalo International typographical
Uniono Knights of St. Crispin;
shoemakers union
Opposition to Unions• Employers had to
negotiate with unions• Viewed unions as
conspiracies that interfered with property rights
• Business leaders opposed industrial unions
• Industrial Union – an organization of common laborers and craft workers in a particular union
Opposition to Unions• Companies used
technique to prevent union membershipo Sign oath or contracto Hired detectives to identify
union organizerso Workers who tried to organize
were firedo Placed on a blacklist
Opposition to Unions• Companies used
“lockouts” to break existing unions
• Lockout – a company tool to fight union demands by refusing to allow employees to enter its facilities to work
• If union called a strike employers hired replacements or strikebreakers
Opposition to Unions• There were no laws
giving workers rights to form unions
• Or for owners to negotiate with them
• Courts ruled strike “conspiracies in restraint of trade”
• Leaders could be fined or jailed
• Restraint – the act of limiting, restricting, or keeping under control
Opposition to Unions• 1800s unions thought
to be un-American• Karl Marx argued that
capitalist society was a struggle between workers and owners
• Marx believed the workers would o Eventually revolto Seize factories o Overthrow the government