Post by Ryan Ben Jordan Brian on Jan 29, 2016 18:55:01 GMT
ESSAY OUTLINE: HOW SUCCESSFUL WAS ORGANIZED LABOR IN IMPROVING THE POSITION OF WORKERS INT HE PERIOD FORM 1875 TO 1900? ANALYZE THE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE LEVELS OF SUCCESS ACHIEVED.
Ryan Le, Ben Strehlow, Jordan Kim, Brian Li
Analysis of the Prompt:
Was organized labor effective in progressing working conditions?
What events affected the success of the labor organizations?
1875:
In the middle of a depression
Towards the end of the Reconstruction era
Mexican ranch owners pushed off land, fought back
1900:
William McKinley Reelected
Beginning of Progressive Era
Key Terms
1. Railroad Strike, 1877
- 1890 Sherman Anti-Trust
3. Haymarket Strike, 1886 Chicago
4. Homestead Strike, 1892
5. Pullman Strike, 1894: Panic of 1893 & Depression
American Railway Union 1893-1895 Eugene V. Debs
Molly Maguires – 1870’s
• Knights of Labor founded 1869
• AFL or American Federation of Labor
Intro
In the years following the Civil War, a period of industrialization occurred in the United States, primarily in the North-East. With the growing industries, a large labor force was needed to support the labor requirements. However, the work conditions for these workers were very poor, and wages were quite low. From 1875 to 1900, few substantial improvements to the workers’ conditions were made by labor organizations, and little social and economic change occurred.
Body #1: Successes
- 8-hour work days implemented
- Changes to the established work system set a limit to the time people were allowed to work in a day
- Many safety standards put into place following protests
- These standards improved the safety of these jobs, and improves the condition of the work place
- Wages increased throughout the period
- With more fair wages, people are more inclined to work and earn enough to support their families
Body #2: Failures
- Strikes
- Although many labor unions went on strike, these strikes led to little or no substantial changes to the workers conditions and pay
- Some strikes ended violence, with arrests, injuries and deaths.
- Led to the dismantle of many labor unions
- Corporations
- Controlled all the wealth, could stop any attempt for change
- Could infiltrate and damage unions
- Pinkertons sent in to protect the company (“Beat the snot out of the labor union advocators” - Ben Wellington 2016)
- Consolidation of smaller companies led to directly working under the corporation
- Unions
- Unions were not recognized as a legal entity by the government, seen as a monopoly of labor
- 4% of workers were in unions, they were not big enough
Conclusion
Although there were many attempts to revolutionize the conditions of the labor force, nearly all ended in failure due to a disorganized labor union, consolidated power of the corporations, and the general failure of labor. However, while change did not occur during 1875-1900, the Progressive Era made substantial headway to nearly all aspects of labor.
Ryan Le, Ben Strehlow, Jordan Kim, Brian Li
Analysis of the Prompt:
Was organized labor effective in progressing working conditions?
What events affected the success of the labor organizations?
1875:
In the middle of a depression
Towards the end of the Reconstruction era
Mexican ranch owners pushed off land, fought back
1900:
William McKinley Reelected
Beginning of Progressive Era
Key Terms
1. Railroad Strike, 1877
- 1890 Sherman Anti-Trust
3. Haymarket Strike, 1886 Chicago
4. Homestead Strike, 1892
5. Pullman Strike, 1894: Panic of 1893 & Depression
American Railway Union 1893-1895 Eugene V. Debs
Molly Maguires – 1870’s
• Knights of Labor founded 1869
• AFL or American Federation of Labor
Intro
In the years following the Civil War, a period of industrialization occurred in the United States, primarily in the North-East. With the growing industries, a large labor force was needed to support the labor requirements. However, the work conditions for these workers were very poor, and wages were quite low. From 1875 to 1900, few substantial improvements to the workers’ conditions were made by labor organizations, and little social and economic change occurred.
Body #1: Successes
- 8-hour work days implemented
- Changes to the established work system set a limit to the time people were allowed to work in a day
- Many safety standards put into place following protests
- These standards improved the safety of these jobs, and improves the condition of the work place
- Wages increased throughout the period
- With more fair wages, people are more inclined to work and earn enough to support their families
Body #2: Failures
- Strikes
- Although many labor unions went on strike, these strikes led to little or no substantial changes to the workers conditions and pay
- Some strikes ended violence, with arrests, injuries and deaths.
- Led to the dismantle of many labor unions
- Corporations
- Controlled all the wealth, could stop any attempt for change
- Could infiltrate and damage unions
- Pinkertons sent in to protect the company (“Beat the snot out of the labor union advocators” - Ben Wellington 2016)
- Consolidation of smaller companies led to directly working under the corporation
- Unions
- Unions were not recognized as a legal entity by the government, seen as a monopoly of labor
- 4% of workers were in unions, they were not big enough
Conclusion
Although there were many attempts to revolutionize the conditions of the labor force, nearly all ended in failure due to a disorganized labor union, consolidated power of the corporations, and the general failure of labor. However, while change did not occur during 1875-1900, the Progressive Era made substantial headway to nearly all aspects of labor.