The history of unions and strikes in America is a history of democratic struggles and successes in hopes of achieving change in the workplace. A union of workers was found necessary to achieve change in the workforce including improvements in conditions, attainment of the right to representation, inclusion of collection bargaining and ending bias and discrimination. Unions are democratic economic stabilizers benefiting both workers and the general public. Workers gained benefits from the formation of unions including pay, pensions, and healthcare, as well as grievance processes and holiday pay. Often times, however, many of these conditions were not achieved until strikes by workers were held. Although unions and strikes are similar today to what they were in early America, they grew and improved America’s workplace, while unions today play an important role in American politics.
The first time American workers joined to protest in New York in 1768. This was the beginning of the Labor Movement in America. Nearly a quarter of a century later, the first labor union was formed in New York by Cordwainers – the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers. The workers of this union went on strike, but were accused and convicted of criminal charges and the strike failed. Unions began to form across America with goals of setting wages, defending the trade and advocating for shorter work days. In early America, guilds of various trades arose . These first American unions were small and localized.
Strikes arose frequently as a result the decrease in worker wages, the implementation of new machinery and the depersonalization of workers. The first workers to strike were printers in 1794 in New York, cabinet makers followed in 1796, then carpenters in 1797 and Cordwainers in 1799. These workers were striking in an appeal for an improvement in working conditions.
In the early 1800’s, unions played a pivotal role in reducing the daily work hours from twelve to ten. Unions even joined together for this cause. They were seeking to stop exploitation of workers. Unions expanded widely in the mid 1800’s and many joined to form federations. The National Trades Union was created in 1834 throughout five different cities. Effected by economic conditions of the times, these unions did not become strong movements.
In 1878, the Knights of Labor was created and reached a membership of nearly one million. The Knights of Labor was the first significant national labor union in America. Because the union sought to organize all workers of all backgrounds, it was not well-organized or structured and its leaders were averse to strikes. The union sought to negotiate and if no success, then strike. Thus, in 1881, the Federation of Organized Trades and Legal Unions was formed. This organization was formed after a meeting in which representatives from many trades met. Some of these trades included carpenters, printers, merchants and steel workers. The organization’s first area for workers addressed was working hours.
The United Mine Workers initiated a large strike in 1902 which resulted in presidential interference and ultimately a pay increase and institution of shorter work days. A significant case in the courts involving unions and strikes was the Danbury Hatters case. In Danbury, CT, hatters employed a boycott of a nonunion company and the company responded by alleging violations of the antitrust law. The Supreme Court ultimately addressed the issue . Many strikes were the result of the Supreme Courts involvement.
The 1892 strike in Homestead, Pennsylvania by the steel plant workers at Carnegie Steel Company was significant. The Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers Union protested when management of the plant sought to break up the union and sent in private security to halt the strike. The Pullman strike in 1893 at the Pullman Palace Car Company resulted when the industry made a significant cut in wages. The American Railway Union spearheaded the strike which severely hampered the railroad industry. Railway companies began hiring nonunion workers as union workers refused to work, assault strike breakers, derailed rail cars, and set fires to railway buildings. American military members were sent to dissipate the strike and the union leader was sent to prison. The Battle of Cripple Creek in 1894 was another significant strike. In Cripple Creek, Colorado, the mining industry flourished, as did the Free Coinage Union of miners. The Free Coinage Union was a branch of the Western Federation of Miners, a militant union. Many of these strikes resulted in violence and failed to accomplish the goals of the unions. In the early 1900’s, strikes continued. The International Ladies Garment Workers Union protested through a strike, the poor working conditions of the garment industry. Although these strikes resulted in the promise of better working conditions, the changes were not implemented and conditions remained the same or worsened.
Eventually, Congress addressed union activities in the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914. The Act addressed strikes, boycotts, pickets and collective bargaining. Although labor conditions rose and fell in America during and after the Great Depression, the government addressed the conditions again in provisions of the New Deal implemented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Fair Labor Standards Act was included in this New Deal and established a minimum wage, among other labor conditions. During and following World War II, union membership across America increased dramatically. Although strikes resulted in violence, union membership was so immense in America that Congress was forced to address unfair working conditions. The Taft-Hartley Act was passed again addressing strikes, boycotts and pickets. In more recent years, strikes have been few and far between and involved many less member participation as they did in early America. However, unions still play a role in the politics of America and successfully engage in lobbying Congress for more fair treatment in the workplace as America continues to grow.
The history of unions and strikes in America is a history of struggles and successes. Unions were necessary to achieve change in the workforce. Conditions were unfair and unhealthy. Unions, as a democratic and economic force, sought improvements in conditions, attainment of the right to representation, inclusion of collection bargaining and ending bias and discrimination. Unions have been responsible for bringing about public education and raising the American standard of living. Although strikes were common practice by unions in early America and through the first half of the twentieth century, strikes are not common today, Instead, unions use their political influence to bring about needed changes in the workplace through lobbying.
References
A Short History of American Labor. (1981, March). Retrieved from AFL-CIO American Federationist: http://www.albany.edu/history/history316/LaborMovementHistory1.html
Domhoff, G. W. (2013). The RIse and Fall of Labor Unions in the U.S. Retrieved from Who Rules America?
Key Events in Labor History. (2016). Retrieved from AFL-CIO: http://www.aflcio.org/About/Our-History/Key-Events-in-Labor-History
The Labor Movement in America. (2016). Retrieved from What So Proudly We Hail: http://www.whatsoproudlywehail.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/The-Labor-Movement-in-America.pdf?2db700
