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Labor Timeline

Taylor Horne

Sep. 25, 2020

National Labor Union

1866

The purpose of the NLU was to unite multiple labor unions together to fight towards a common goal, it's main goal being to get the ten hour work day reduced to an eight hour work day. The NLC was founded by William H. Sylvis and led by Andrew Cameron alongside Sylvis. They successfully got the federal government to pass the labor reform for federal government workers (including the attainment of the eight-hour day) and was mostly responsible for the development of the Department of Labor.

Knights of Labor

1868

The KOL was founded and lead by Uriah Smith Stephens and James L. Wright in an attempt to organize workers of all kinds and improve their working conditions. They fought for the eight our workday, the abolition of child labor, safer working environments in factories, equal pay, and compensation for on-the-job injuries. It also acted as a labor union in some cases, but it was never well organized or funded. While they had a few successful strikes (such as the ones in the Union Pacific in 1884) that made a huge impact on society, the group started losing members after 11 people were killed in the Haymarket Square Riot of 1886.

Colored National Labor Union

1869

The CNLU was founded and led by Andrew Cameron to improve the general working conditions of black workers, develop a national public education system with equal opportunities for black people, and to attain equality in the working industry by the elimination of discrimination within trade unions. The union became more political overtime and ultimately became a branch of the Republican Party, resulting in less trade-union activity and less contact with the trade union all together. By 1872 the CNLU disband its operations and eventually disband. Their impact was small, only resulting in the ratification of a few small petitions.

The Great Railroad Strike

The Great Strike was led by Thomas L. Young and St. Louis Workingman's Party. The strike was caused by the announcement of a second wage cut by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Thousands of industrial workers marched along the Missouri river fighting for increased wages, a ban on child labor, and for the eight-hour workday. In the end the strike didn't accomplish anything and resulted in the death of 100 workers and 1,000 workers getting jailed.

1877

1886

The Haymarket Affair

The Haymarket Affair

The Haymarket Riot/Affair was supposed to be a peaceful protest against police brutality that was led by Adolph Fischer and Albert Parsons. Around 100,000 workers had gathered in Haymarket Square for this peaceful protest when a bomb went off. The explosion of the bomb is what caused the brutal police gunfire and the riot as a whole. Close to 100 people were injured and over 12 were found dead. It was discovered later that eight anarchist leaders had attended the protest, creating a national panic over this newfound suspison of the internatonal anarchist movement. This tragedy also caused in increase in anti-labor and anti-immigrant sentiments.

American Federation of Labor

The Formation of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) marked the beginning of a new large-scale labor movement in the United States. Founded and led by Samuel Gompers, its purpose was to obtain higher wages, shorter hours, and better working conditions. The AFL succeeded in achiving these goals all while keeping politics seperate from economic matters. The union was disbanded after the creation of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) was formed in 1935.

American Federation of Labor

The Homestead

Steel Strike

1892

The Steel Strike was led by John Fitzpatrick and William Z. Foster as they stood outside the Carnegie Steel Company building to protest the new wage cut. The protest was unsuccessful because the protesters lost their jobs to replacement workers and suffered from criminal charges. Overall the strike did more harm than good, weakening the sense of unionism in America.

Pullman Strike

1894

The Pullman Strike was led by Eugene Debs after George Pullman increased working hours, cut wages, and cut jobs as a result of the economic depression that followed the Panic of 1893. The strike shut down the majority of the nations freight and passenger traffic west of Detroit, Michigan. This success was temporary because the movement was crushed by federal troops and court injunctions and most protesters were imprisoned for disobeying government orders.

Industrial Workers of the World

1905

The IWW was founded and led by Eugene Debs, Mother Jones, Bill Haywood, Lucy Parsons, Daniel De Leon, and Thomas J. Hagerty. Their goal was to promote worker solidarity in the revolutionary struggle to overthrow the employing class. The organization allowed teachers, social workers, retail workers, construction workers, bartenders, and computer programs into the union. They successfully overthrew the wage system, and gave workers control over their own work-lives through industrial organization. These goals were all accomplished through class wellfare.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

1911

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire was one of the deadliest industrial disaster in American history. Around 146 to 500 workers were killed in the incident. This accident led to multiple reforms and new laws that would better protect the safety and health of workers.

The End

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