Labor History
4
Adam Whitmer
Economics with Financial Literacy
A Selection of Labor History
1800's
1800s
The Industrial Revolution led to many changes in how goods were produced. People worked in close quarters in very bad conditions.
Workers began to realize that together they had power and the keys to the wheels of production.
1886- Haymarket Riot
1886
Pro-union protestors in Chicago were met with brutal force by Chicago police.
A bomb that was detonated and the blast combined with the ensuing gunfire left at least 11 dead. It is not known who detonated the bomb.
1894- Pullman Strike
1894
The American Railway Union led a strike against the Pullman Company. This strike lasted over 2 months.
Military and police were send to break up the strike, and the ensuing struggles led to at least 70 deaths.
Eugene Debs
Eugene Debs led the strike. He served six months for his actions. He ran for president as a Socialist five times, including once from prison in 1920. In that election he received 3.4% of the vote.
Eugene Debs
The Workers
Striking workers confronting the Illinois National Guard
1921- Battle of Blair Mountain
1921
Striking coal miners in West Virginia met over 3000 lawmen and strike breakers in the largest armed conflict in the United States since the Civil War.
Over 125 people were killed in the battles that spread over the hills of West Virginia.
Arming Themselves
FUTURE
The future gains of Labor Union organizing look to be coming from workers of two businesses in particular.
FUTURE
Starbucks
Starbucks has seen 54 stores in 19 states begin unionization efforts
Starbucks
Amazon
An Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, NYC recently became the first fullfulment center in America to unionize, with a majority of their 8000 workers voting to build a new worker's organization.