From Ms. P. ---> Part #2:  Excellent job!!  5 pts. ea.

                           Part #3:  5 pts. ea.

 

 

 Brainstorm for Ques. 1:

Evaluate the successes and failures of the organized labor movement from 1866 to 1894. 

 

Hello!

I'm pink...is that too bright? or just too happy for anything related to American History?

Anyway, here's some ideas...

General idea for intro/conclusion: Laborers fought back harsh labor conditions by using some of the tactics the employers and big bosses used-creating large organizations, unions.  Little success.  Maybe we can paraphrase that for a thesis statement?

• Molly Maguires (1875) - coal minners in PA, mainly Irish Catholic immigrants.  Used violence, added to the growing perception that labor activism was motivated by dangerous radicals.
• Knights of Labor - Failed after unsuccessful strike on Texas and Pacific railroad, power was broken. First important leader: Terence V. Powderly, "An injury to one is an injury to all!" -A big union open to all--not just skilled or semiskilled workers--is best. Goals: 8-hr working day, workers cooperative, worker-owned factories, abolition of child labor and prison labor, increased circulation of greenbacks, = pay men and women*, safety codes in work place, prohibition of contracts of foreign labor.  How successful were they at meeting these goals?
• Homestead Steel Strike (1892) - Workers had temporary victory after Pinkertons surrendered in response to violece, but the governor of Pennsylvania sent in teh National Guard at the Company's request, and workers drifted back to their jobs. Four months after the strike began, the Amalgamated surrendered.
• 1873 Panic- decrease in wages and increase in hours nad prices. led to pullan strike.
• Pullman Strike (1894) - Strike quickly collapsed with federal troops protecting the hiring of new workers ("scabs") and union leaders in federal jail. President Grover Cleveland (pro business, conservative Democract) used power of fed government to resolve the strike with a court order. pullman=luxury cars (railroad). Pullman company wanted a 10% pay cut, higher rent and prices in the workers' "company town," longer hours, etc. Workers were helped by Eugene V. Debs - socialist, was jailed. defifed government injunction.

   

• I.W.W. - i think this is after 1894
• National Labor Union-First national labor union.  Paved the way for Knights of Labor and other groups (transition).  Created in 1866 and dissolved in 1872.  Sought to bring together all the national labor organizations in existence.  Goal: labor reforms like 8-hr work day.  Most members were skilled workers, but unskilled workers and farmers were allowed as well. 

-There was also a Colored National Labor Union because the NLU didn't allow blacks, we could research them as well

• Pinkerton Agents-detectives.  Nickname, Corporate "Bully-Boys."  Tried to put down strikers and unionizers.  Interfered with the success of labor unions (concluding idea 4th body paragraph: Big businesses tools for fighting back)

-Methods used by Management: Scabs (replacement workers), lock-outs, black listing, yellow-dog contracts, open shop, etc.

-Methods used by Labor: boycotts, sympathy demonstrations, informational picketing, closed shop, organized strikes, and "wildcat strikes.

 

 

• The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 - First major national labor conflict, illustrated how widespread disputes between workers and employers were. Demonstrated frailty of the labor movement and damaged labor unions' reputations in various industries, because the strike failed.
• American Federation of Labor (AFL) - Successful on a large scale throughout the country (for example, a general strike for a national 8-hour workday on May 1, 1886, which took place throughout the country). Challenged by public fears of anarchism which arose from the Haymarket Square riot.  1886 attempted assination of Henry Clay Frick (head of Homestead Steel) result: bad press coverage on strike.  The attempted assinator: Alexander Berkman 'anarchist jew'- Frick becomes victim of anarchist jew.  links anarchism to labor unions and a destruction of soc/ econ/ pol power.
• Dynamic Sociology, Lester Frank Ward (1883) - Argued that civilization wasn't governed by natural selection, but by human intellegence, wish could shape society as it wished. The people, through their government, could intervene in the economy and adjust it to serve their needs.

 

 

 Intro: The rise of organized labor movements in the time period between 1866 and 1894 led to successes and failures for laborers and union members. Groups of labor reformers and workers' unions, such as the Knights of Labor, the National Labor Union, and Molly Maguires, took various measures in order to improve working conditions nationwide. Laborers used tactics similar to the ones their employers used to gain power-organizing in large groups and using legislation to their benefit.  Legislation was an important tool for workers to meet their goals;  in 1868 Congress established and eight-hour work day for all public works project laborers.  Workers also fought for the abolition of Contract Labor Law, and recieved it in 1885 by Congress. Workers rebelled through efforts such as strikes and boycotts, and big business responded with tactics such as "scab" workers and, in some cases, government assistance.Some of the labor reform measures were largely successful, while others were failures and became setbacks for the general labor reform movement.  

 

Laborers fought back harsh labor conditions by using some of the tactics the employers and big bosses used-creating large organizations, unions.  Little success. rachel - what unions/organizations did big bosses create?

 

 

Feel welcome to edit this, i just wanted to get something out there cause i'll be busy this week - i don't know who else wants to do the intro, so it's open to anybody

 

Nice intro Janet. We can probably make it more specific when we decide which ideas we're actually using for our essay. Are we each going to be writing a body paragraph for the essay? In that case I was thinking the paragraphs could be

 

1. Large Unions- Molly Maguires, AFL (Knights of Labor) and aspects that made them successful/unsuccessful I'm going to work on this one. Is that ok Janet?

2. Strikes that succeeded

3. Strikes that failed -I'd like to work on this one.

4. Big businesses tools for fighting back and how they inhibited the success of labor movements Can I work on this one?  I think I know this sub-topic best.

 

This format is great!  It is really organized and will make a very strong essay.

 

Body Paragraph 4:

The success of the workers' reform movement depended on the level of commitment and organization of union members.  These factors were under their control, but the power tactics exhibited by corporate employers were not, and significantly inhibited the success of the organized labor movement.  Although employees had their own methods of fighting back against their bosses, such as boycotts, informational picketing, sympathy demonstrations, and organized strikes, employers still held the upper-hand in this power struggle.  They countered these rebellious actions by hiring "scabs," holding lock-outs, using yellow-dog contracts, keeping an open shop policy, and black listing.  These tactics were used to intimidate workers out of striking and joining unions.  Strikers lost money when they were locked out of factories and scabs were hired to take their places.  Laborers also knew that striking, boycotting, and joining unions hurt their chances at jobs for the future.  Another powerful tool of the big corporate bosses was the  Pinkerton Detective Agency.  They broke up strikes and put down unionizers; their presence incited violence among workers.  The Pinkertons' slogan was, "We never sleep," indicating their purpose:looking out for and spying on rebellious laborers.

 

Alright, so it looks like Janet and Rachel are working on the intro paragraph, so Elsa and I will do the conclusion.

 

This is just a rough outline of the conclusion, so feel free to edit and switch things up:

 

 

Conclusion:

 

 Throughout the period from 1866 to 1894, laborers struggled against the power of big business. They were sucsessful in a few instances, such as the great, if temporary, power of the American Federation of Labor. But in the end, over-whelming opposition from the businesses and the negative view the middle class had of laborers as anarchists proved to be too strong a barrier to the unification and empowerment or the laboring class. Since this time period, the labor movement has never been as strong and even today unions in America are not as strong as they were at their peak during this time period in American history. (are you sure this is true?) (Yeah, Ms. Pojer said so in class)

 

 

So once we've finished everything up, we can copy and paste our final drafts of the intro and conclusion paragraphs below (in red font color):

 

*Which group used legal action to improve conditions for laborers? -The American Federation of Labor (1886) Thanks, we should definitely use that in our essay.

 

Final Draft of the Intro Paragraph:

 

The rise of organized labor movements in the time period between 1866 and 1894 led to successes and failures for laborers and union members. Groups of labor reformers and workers' unions, such as the Knights of Labor, the National Labor Union, and Molly Maguires, took various measures in order to improve working conditions nationwide. Workers also fought for the abolition of Contract Labor Law, and recieved it in 1885 by Congress.) Workers also rebelled through efforts such as strikes and boycotts, and big business responded with tactics such as "scab" workers and, in some cases, government assistance. Laborers used tactics similar to the ones their employers used to gain power- organizing in large groups and using legislation to their benefit.  Legislation was an important tool for workers to meet their goals; the passage of the Contract Labor Law and other various legislation concerning safety in the workplace were passed. (in 1868 Congress established and eight-hour work day for all public works project laborers. Rachel - i like the idea of talking about legislation but i put this in parentheses because in my opinion it's too much information about the idea for the intro, but if you like it there you can put it back. i think we should focus on details in the body paragraphs though.)   Some of the labor reform measures were largely successful, while others were failures and became setbacks for the general labor reform movement.

 

 Rachel - I took the sentence about the similarities between workers and employers organizations out, because i was unsure of what you were referring to.. add it back in if you have an example, the sentence is still in the rough copy of the intro. Oh I'm sorry I was unclear. I was trying to say that laborers used tactics similar to the ones their employers used to gain power-organizing in large groups and using legislation to their benefit.  An example of legislation= abolition of Contract Labor Law in 1885 by Congress. I'll add a new sentence or 2 right now.

 

Final Draft of the Conclusion Paragraph:

 

 

 Throughout the period from 1866 to 1894, laborers struggled against the power of big business. They were sucsessful in a few instances, such as the great, if temporary, power of the American Federation of Labor. But in the end, over-whelming opposition from the businesses and the negative view the middle class had of laborers as anarchists proved to be too strong a barrier to the unification and empowerment or the laboring class. Since this time period, the labor movement has never been as strong and even today unions in America are not as strong as they were at their peak during this time period in American history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks! :D -Mary