Download Knights of Labor

National Labor Union
Knights of Labor
Molly Maguires
American Federation of Labor (AFL)
United Mine Workers (UMW)
American Railway Union (ARU)
Industrial Workers of the World
(IWW) – The “Wobblies”
National Labor Union 1866-1872
The National Labor Union was the first national labor federation
in the U.S. Although short lived, it laid the groundwork for future
organizations.
Major goals were to unite all national labor organizations into
a national federation, create unions in areas where none
existed, and establish a political party to represent laborers
Supporters were skilled workers but unskilled and farmers
were also invited to join
At its height there were about 600,000 members
They did little to help African American workers which led to
the establishment of the Colored National Labor Union,
however the groups often had conflicting goals as the NLU
supported Democrats, and the CNLU supported Republicans
Campaigned for the exclusion of Chinese workers from the
U.S.
The focus on politics and monetary reform led to its downfall
since their inability to produce success at the polls led to
supporters joining the Knights of Labor. The downturn in the
economy in the 1870s lowered union membership overall and
finally ended the NLU
Molly Maguires
Named after a woman in Ireland who
fought unfair landlord treatment.
Many trace its beginnings to Ireland in the 1840s, in
the U.S. it grew out an Irish fraternal organization
Formed by Irish coal miners to fight against bad
treatment and unsafe working conditions in the coal
mines in Pennsylvania
Dangerous working conditions in the mines led to
frequent accidents, floods, fires, and explosions. In one
seven year period in Schuylkill County, 566 miners were
killed and a further 1,665 were seriously injured.
Local police and other government officials were
basically controlled by the mine owners so the miners
had nowhere to turn for help.
Most active from 1865-1875, they used violence to
achieve their goals
Molly Maguires
The Molly Maguires would threaten and at times murder
local police and mine managers
In 1875, the Molly Maguires led a major strike
Union was infiltrated by a Pinkerton Detective who hired
by the owner of the Reading Railroad and the local mine
owner. The detective who collected evidence on their
activities for 2 years.
McParland gathered evidence of the murder of around
50 men in Schuylkill County, most were managers of the
mines
Twenty members of their leadership were put on trial in
1876 for the murder of over 20 mine managers, ten were
hanged
Evidence presented by McParland at the
Maguires trial
James McParland
Knights of Labor
In 1869 the Noble Order
of the Knights of Labor
was founded by Uriah
Stephens and other
tailors who were former
members of the Garment
Cutters' Association of
Philadelphia.
The organization used the
Free Masons as their
model and operated as a
secret fraternity, until the
early 1880s. The KOL was
open to all working
people except for
bankers, lawyers,
stockbrokers, doctors,
gamblers, and liquor
manufacturers.
KOL
Great
Seal
Knights of Labor
Terrence Powderly took over as
Grand Master Workman of the
union in the 1880s. He dropped
the secret fraternity aspects of
the Knights of Labor and
membership began to grow. The
Knights of Labor allowed both
skilled and unskilled workers to
join their national union. The
overall strategy was to organize
all workers – skilled and
unskilled, men and women, black
and white – into one grand union.
Therefore despite differences in
occupation and skills, all members
in the same area belong to the
same local chapter. The Knights of
Labor’s main concerns were an 8
hour workday and the abolition of
child labor.
Terrance Powderly
Knights of Labor
Preamble of the Knights of
Labor
The alarming development and
aggressiveness of great
capitalists and corporations,
unless checked, will inevitably
lead to the pauperization and
hopeless degradation of the
toiling masses. It is imperative,
if we desire to enjoy the full
blessings of life, that a check be
placed upon unjust
accumulation, and the power for
evil of aggregated wealth. This
much-desired object can be
accomplished only by the united
efforts of those who obey the
divine injunction, "In the sweat
of thy face shalt thou eat
bread."
Knights of Labor
We declare to the world that our aims are:
1. To make industrial and moral worth, not wealth, the true
standard of individual and national greatness.
2. To secure to the worker the full enjoyment of the wealth they
create, sufficient leisure in which to develop their intellectual,
moral and social faculties; all of the benefits, recreation and
pleasures of association; in a word, to enable them to share
in the gains and honors of advancing civilization.
3. An eight-hour work day
4. The prohibition by law of the employment of children under
fifteen years of age in workshops, mines and factories
5. Termination of the convict contract labor system (the concern was not for
the prisoners; the Knights opposed competition from this cheap source of
labor)
6. Establishment of cooperatives to replace the traditional wage system and
help tame capitalism's excesses
7. Equal pay for equal work
8. Government ownership of telegraph facilities, telephones and the railroads
that hereafter no charter or license be issued to any corporation for
construction or operation of any menas of transporting intelligence,
passengers or freight.
9. A public land policy designed to aid settlers and not speculators
10. A graduated income tax.
11. That the public lands, the heritage of the people, be reserved for actual
settlers; not another acre for railroads or speculators, and that all lands now
held for speculative purposes be taxed at their full value.
12. The enactment of laws providing for arbitration between employers and
employed, and to enforce the decision of the arbitrators.
Knights of Labor
Their motto was “an
injury to one is the
concern of all”.
The KOL’s major goals
were:
8-hour work day
End of child labor
Equal pay for men and
women
Improved working
conditions
Compensation for onthe-job injuries
Elimination of private
banks
Knights of Labor
In the beginning, the KOL did not
endorse the tactic of strikes or
work stoppages to get change in
the workplace. However, after
some successes and the inclusion
of new members, they began to
advocate strikes. The two major
successful strikes were both
against railroads, the first in
1884 against the Union Pacific
and in 1885 against the Wabash.
After 1883 the KOL expanded
membership to African
Americans, women, and
employers.
Female KOL members
By the mid-1880s the KOL, under
the leadership of Terrence
Powderly, had over 700,000
members.
Powderly
Knights of Labor
KOL members
A KOL meeting in 1886 in
Richmond, Virginia where Frank J.
Farrell, a Black delegate,
introduced Powderly
The kingdom of monopoly has a building with its roof made up of
boodle (bribe), the two guards at the gate have a sword with the
name “Vanderbilt”, and the army coming to invade are the
Knights of Labor, who represent various types of workers.
Many professions were represented by the Knights of
Labor
Knights of Labor
After several unsuccessful
strikes, the Knights of Labor
began to decline in power and
importance eventually
disappearing completely in
1895. There were several
reasons for their decline, but
chief among them was poor
planning, inadequate
financing, the admission of
unskilled labor, and
unsuccessful forays into
politics. Many of the skilled
membership were unwilling to
support strikes that would
benefit only the unskilled
labor. Either justified or not,
the Knights of Labor became
increasingly associated with
political movements such as,
anarchists and socialism.
Haymarket riot
The Haymarket Riot, a rally in
Chicago in 1886 in which 11
people were killed by a bomb.
The KOL was never tied to this
event, however the public
perceived it that way since it
was a labor rally
The creation of the American
Federal of Labor (AFL) that
shunned radical tactics and
organized along trade lines
American Federation of Labor (AFL)
Founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1886 by Samuel
Gompers who was its president until his death in
1924
Represented skilled workers unions across the
nation and only allowed workers to join, not
employers like the KOL
Less radical than other organizations that emerged
during the same era
Focused on support of candidates in politics, rather
than forming its own political party
It was the largest union in the U.S. for many years
Allowed for segregated chapters of the union
Like many other unions at the time, supported
legislation that protected the American worker like
the renewal of the Chinese Exclusion Act and entrance
literacy exams which would prevent non-English
immigrants from entering the country
Samuel Gompers, an
immigrant from England,
was a member of the Cigar
Makers’ Union and served as
the president of the AFL for
40 years. As a practical
man, he rejected radicalism,
he urged labor to benefit
from a capitalist economy
by forming strong unions
and gaining high wages. His
successor, William Green,
who served from 1924 to
1952, continued Gompers
emphasis on craft unionism.
Green was succeeded by
George Meany, who later
merged the AFL with the
Congress of Industrial
Organizations.
Samuel Gompers disliked linking
labor unions with politics. Instead
he emphasized “bread and butter”
unionism that would further the
economic well being of the
members. “Bread and butter”
unionism focused on basic issues,
like shorter work days, better pay
and better working conditions.
Gompers organizational
skills made the AFL more successful
than the Knight of Labor and
probably the most successful
national labor union. The American
Federation of Labor admitted only
skilled labor, claiming that they
would have better success than
unskilled labor.
The workers were organized into separate craft unions based on
each worker’s particular skill or craft. For example, although
a plumber and a carpenter are both construction workers, they
would belong to different unions. By combining workers with
the same economic interest, AFL craft unions could serve their
members more effectively than the Knights of Labor.
In the 1880s, Gompers urged members of the AFL to work
within the two major political parties by punishing enemies and
rewarding friends. The AFL did so by endorsing pro-labor
candidates regardless of party label. However, once elected,
these candidates did little to help unions. They owed their
election chiefly to financial contributors and political leaders
and felt little obligation to organized labor.
Collective Bargaining
Samuel Gompers’ major contribution to the labor movement
Samuel Gompers did not believe in using strikes to gain concessions from
employers. So, as a tactic in dealing with companies and employers, Gompers
advocated the use of collective bargaining.
Collective bargaining is the process of negotiating between employers
(management) and a group of employees (representing the entire union work
force – labor) in order to reach an agreement regulating working conditions.
The union elects representatives. These representatives negotiate with
management to reach agreement on a work contract (pay, hours, working
conditions).
Once an agreement has been reached, the union representatives present the
agreement to the entire union membership (usually all the employees at one
factory or one company). The union membership then votes whether to accept
the agreement as is or not. If the union votes to accept the agreement, then
they have a new labor contract that governs all working conditions for a fixed
period of time.
If the union votes against the contract, then the union representatives go back
to “the bargaining table” and renegotiate another agreement with management.
This continues until the union membership votes to approve a labor contract.
Collective Bargaining
Samuel Gompers’ major contribution to the labor movement
If the two sides are unable to negotiate a labor contract that can be approved
by the union’s “rank and file” membership (all the members of the union who are
not considered leadership) then the negotiating methods change.
First, the two sides (management and labor) will use mediation. Mediation is
the process of using an impartial third party to help with negotiations. If
mediation fails to produce a contract acceptable to the union’s membership then
negotiation move into the next phase.
The next phase is arbitration. Arbitration is the process of using an impartial
third party to actually write a labor contract themselves. The arbitrator will meet
with both sides to understand their issues and concerns. Then the arbitrator will
use this information to write what they deem is a fair labor contract. The union
representative will take this arbitrated contract back to the union membership for
a vote.
If arbitration fails to produce a labor contract satisfactory to the union
membership, then the next step is to go on strike. Strikes are only to be used
as a last resort. When all else fails, then strikes become a viable option.
Despite occasional setbacks, the
AFL prospered. Its membership
increases from 100,000 in 1890 to 4
million in 1920 and almost 11 million
in 1955. The AFL faced difficult
times during the prosperous 1920s
and the early years of the
depression. It experienced great
growth during World War I, the New
Deal era and World War II. In the
1950s, the AFL consisted of over 100
member crafts unions. Almost all
were trade unions, such as the
International Association of
Machinists, the United Brotherhood
of Carpenters and Joiners, and the
American Federation of Musicians.
Growth took place in the North more
rapidly than in the South, where
union membership was often
mentally connected with socialism
and the fear of losing company
generated benefits, such as housing.
United Mine Workers
The United Mine Workers (UMWA) was founded in
Columbus, Ohio in 1890 as a merger of two earlier
unions.
UMWA’s structure was modeled after the American
Federation of Labor (AFL), but their membership was
largely unskilled labor.
UMWA played a pivotal role in the achievement of
the eight-hour work day in 1898.
Famous leaders include John Mitchell, John L. Lewis,
and Mother Jones.
Lattimer Massacre - September 10, 1897. 19 miners
killed by police in Lattimer, Pennsylvania, during a
march in support of unions.
Ludlow Massacre - April 20, 1914. 20 people,
including women and children, killed when police and
hired guns broke up a tent colony formed by families
of miners who had been evicted from company-owned
housing.
American Railway Union
 Railroad workers had been organized into
“Brotherhoods” based on their occupations, basically
craft unions.
 The American Railroad Union was started by Eugene
V. Debs, a leader in the Brotherhood of Firemen, in the
wake of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877.
 Debs believed that labor unions should “not
antagonize capital (anger owners and management).”
Originally opposed to strikes, he did not believe in the
use of violence.
Debs began to believe that strikes were extremely
important, but organization would be crucial to prevent
the violence that erupted during the Strike of ’77.
Debs proposed the formation of an industrial union
that would organize all railroad workers regardless of
their specific jobs.
 The American Railway Union (ARU) was officially
established in 1893.
Socialist Eugene V. Debs was a
major force in American politics
during the progressive period in
the early part of the 20th
century. He ran for president as
the Socialist Party candidate
five times from 1900 to 1920.
His last campaign was
conducted from federal prison
due to his opposition to U.S.
entry into WWI.
The Industrial Workers of the World or Wobblies
The IWW was fighting for more than just better working
conditions, they wanted to build "the structure of the new
society within the shell of the old". To achieve this the
IWW wanted to unite workers around the world into a
mass general strike to make factory owners powerless,
which would overthrow capitalism. Industrial unionism
would replace it where the fruits of labor would be enjoyed
by all.
The Industrial Workers of the World or Wobblies
The IWW was founded in Chicago in June 1905 at a convention
of two hundred socialists, anarchists, and radical trade unionists
from all over the US, who were opposed to the policies of the
American Federation of Labor (AFL). Considered to be one of the
most important events in the history of the American labor
movement, its organizers included Big Bill Haywood, Eugene V.
Debs, Mary Harris Jones (commonly known as "Mother Jones"),
and many others. The IWW's goal was to promote worker
solidarity in the revolutionary struggle
to overthrow the employing class. In
particular, the IWW was organized
because of the belief among many
unionists, socialists, anarchists and
radicals that the AFL not only had failed
to effectively organize the U.S. working
class, as only about 5% of all workers
belonged to unions in 1905, but also was
organizing according to narrow craft
principles which divided groups of
workers. The “Wobblies” believed that all
workers should organize as a class.
IWW PREAMBLE
“It is the historic
mission of the
working class to do
away with capitalism.
The army of
production must be
organized, not only for
everyday struggle
with capitalists, but
also to carry on
production when
capitalism shall have
been overthrown. By
organizing industrially
we are forming the
structure of the new
society within the
shell of the old.”
The Wobblies differed from other union movements by its
promotion of industrial unionism, as opposed to the craft
unionism of the AFL. The IWW emphasized rank-and-file
organization, as opposed to empowering leaders who would
bargain with employers on behalf of workers. The Wobblies
envisioned the general strike as the means by which the wage
system would be overthrown and a new economic system
ushered in, one which emphasized people over profit,
cooperation over competition.
The IWW was the only American union to welcome all workers;
women, immigrants, and African Americans
into the same organization. The IWW was
condemned by politicians and the press, who
saw them as a threat to the status quo.
Factory owners would employ means both
non-violent (sending in Salvation Army bands
to drown out speakers) and violent to disrupt
their meetings. Members were often arrested
and sometimes killed for making public
speeches, but this persecution only inspired
further militancy.
Like many leftist organizations of the era, the IWW soon split
over policy. In 1908 one group argued that political action was
the best way to attain the IWW's goals. The other faction
believed that direct action in the form of strikes, propaganda, and
boycotts was more likely to accomplish sustainable gains for
working people; they were opposed to arbitration and to political
affiliation. The more radical wing won out. The IWW had several
successful strikes but were targeted by business and political
leaders. IWW organizers were thrown into prison on trumped-up
charges or no charges
at all. IWW union halls
were raided,
sabotaged and
destroyed. Key
organizers were
beaten, lynched,
castrated and killed
and anti-IWW
propaganda
campaigns by
employers were
widespread and
effective.
"Talking Union"
Suppose they're working you so hard it's just outrageous,
And they're paying you all starvation wages.
You go to the boss, and the boss will yell
"Before I raise your pay I'll see you all in Hell."
He's puffing a big seegar, feeling mighty slick
'Cause he thinks he's got your union licked.
Well, he looks out the window, and what does he see
But a thousand pickets, and they all agree
He's a bastard ... unfair ... slave-driver ...
Bet he beats his wife.
Now, boys, you've come to the hardest time.
The boss will try to bust your picket line.
He'll call out the po-lice and the National Guard;
They'll tell you it's a crime to have a union card!
They'll raid your meetings, they'll hit you on the head -They's call every one of you a Goddamn Red--Unpatriotic ... agitators ...
Send 'em back where they came from.