LA 1201 Chapter : Historical Overview Page 5
Document Summary
1870s: workingman blues: the problem with early trade unions: people think of wage earning as a temporary thing, employers let union people go first. Large spectrum from conservative to radical: layoffs and wage cuts: panic of 1873 sparks or fuels the union movement. Unions were around in the early 1800"s, but they were smaller and focused on certain trade groups. To take on cooperation unions have to go bigger. Railroads cut employment to deal with panic of 1873. The great railroad strike: railroads fire the trouble-makers 1st. so remaining people have to take on their work and the wages have been cut, so they are working more for less. The strikes are sporatic and have no end in site. They tru to shut down railroads, they destroy freight cars and take apart rails. State militias have to get involved, hurting some people, this leads to a real riot in pittsburg.
