In the early 1930s, as the nation slid toward the depths of depression, the future of organized labor seemed bleak. In 1933, the number of labor union members was around 3 million, compared to 5 million a decade before. Most union members in 1933 belonged to skilled craft
unions, most of which were affiliated with the American Federation of Labor (AFL). The union movement had failed in the previous 50 years to organize the much larger number of laborers in such mass production industries as steel, textiles, mining, and automobiles. These, rather than the skilled crafts, were to be the major growth industries of the first half of the 20th century. Although the future of labor unions looked grim in 1933, their fortunes would soon change. The tremendous
gains labor unions experienced in the 1930s resulted, in part, from the pro-union stance of the Roosevelt administration and from legislation enacted by Congress during the early New Deal. The National Industrial Recovery Act (1933) provided for collective bargaining. The 1935 National Labor Relations Act (also known as the Wagner Act) required businesses to bargain in good faith with any union supported by the majority of their employees. Meanwhile, the Congress of Industrial Organizations
split from the AFL and became much more aggressive in organizing unskilled workers who had not been represented before. Strikes of various kinds became important organizing tools of the CIO. To find additional documents on this topic from Loc.gov, use such search terms as labor, worker, labor union, factory, Congress of Industrial Organizations, and American Federation of Labor. Part of
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After the Civil War, the United States entered a new phase of industrialization. Railroad magnates began to consolidate and expand railroad lines around the country. Factories needed raw material to power their increasingly mechanized production lines. Andrew Carnegie adopted ideas about vertical integration -- owning each stage of the steelmaking process so that he might control the quality and profit from start to finish. Both U.S.-born and immigrants from all over the world took dangerous jobs for low pay. As the pace of industrialization quickened, and profits accumulated in the hands of a few, some workers began to organize and advocate for unionization. The workers wanted more safety regulations, better wages, fewer hours, and freedom of speech and assembly. But most companies vigorously opposed the union, arguing for the right to control their private property, and to conduct business without intervention. Industrialists hired guards to maintain surveillance over the workers, and they blacklisted known unionists. Learn more about events from the West Virginia Mine Wars within a national context during a period that was punctuated by violent struggle between labor and management. December 4, 1874 July 14, 1877 May 4, 1886 January 25, 1890 July 6, 1892 July 4, 1894 September 10, 1897 October 12, 1898 May 9, 1900 May 12, 1902 June 1902 January 1, 1912 April 18, 1912 April 20, 1914 January 1, 1917 April 6, 1917 November 7, 1917 February 1919 September 9, 1919 October 6, 1919 May 19, 1920 July 4, 1920 May 19, 1921 August 26, 1921 August 30, 1921 September 2, 1921 April 25, 1922 June 16, 1924 March
23, 1932 The Norris-LaGuardia Act sets the stage for further labor reform legislation, such as the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, or Wagner Act, which will outline the fundamental rights and powers held by unions and establish penalties for violating those rights. June 16, 1933 January 31, 1936 May 30, 1937 January 22, 1941 On April 4, the Washington Post editorial board states, "this strike has degenerated into virtual war against the government, and should be regarded as such." President Roosevelt intervenes and the strike is resolved by the newly created National Defense Mediation Board. President Harry Truman, Courtesy: National ArchivesApril 8, 1952 October 16, 1953 November 4,
1970 August 24, 1974 April 18, 1989 What were the major strikes of the Gilded Age?As the United States became a major industrial power, conflict between workers and factory owners intensified. Read about the Homestead Strike and the Pullman Strike, two of the most famous labor battles in American history.
What were three famous strikes?10 Major Labor Strikes Throughout US History. Homestead Steel Strike (1892) ... . Pullman Strike (1894) ... . Bread and Roses Strike (1912) ... . Great Steel Strike (1919) ... . 5 Myths About Slavery.. Flint Sit-Down Strike (1936-37) ... . Delano Grape Strike (1965-70) ... . Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike (1968). How many strikes were there in the Gilded Age?During the early 1880s, there were about 500 strikes a year involving about 150,000 workers. By the 1890, the number had climbed to a thousand a year involving 700,000 workers a year, and by the early 1900s, the number of strikes had climbed to 4,000 annually.
What 3 major issues did workers face during the Gilded Age?Compared to today, workers were extremely vulnerable during the Gilded Age. As workers moved away from farm work to factories, mines and other hard labor, they faced harsh working conditions such as long hours, low pay and health risks.
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