GILDED AGE WORKERS

Question 1

Ways federal govt positively impacts workers

Answer 1

• 1883 Pendleton civil service act - aimed to reduce corruption forcing govt employees to take exam
• Interstate commerce act - aimed to end discrimination by railroads against small shippers
• 1890 Sherman anti trust act - restrict monopolies which large companies were able to control a trade, cannot enter contracts that restrict interstate/foreign trade

Question 2

Ways economy positively impacted workers

Answer 2

• US became worlds biggest producer of industrial goods - demand for labour increased
• High tariffs on imports didn’t help railway/other companies - protected jobs of black Americans

Question 3

Ways trade unions positively impacted workers

Answer 3

• More craft oriented labour unions
• 1886 - American federation of labour aim to bring unions together -> 2 million members by 1914
• Sickness clubs established - insurance in case workers are ill, compensation limited
• 1885 - knights of labour successful strike
  against wabash railroad -> caused membership to rise
• 1879 - terrence Powderly became leader of kol -> making it more successful, unite skilled and unskilled workers, elcomes women and other races, growth in membership included 10000 woemn and 50000 black Americans
• 1886 afl wanted to bring together all unions - maximise bargaining power of skilled workers (harder to replace), pushing for higher wages and less hours
  
  • Samuel Gompers (leader) - supported strikes -> some employers like jp Morgan willign to negotiate to ensure workers had right to meditation
• Kol took over membership of declining national labour union (formed in 1866)

Question 4

Ways workers themselves were positively impacted

Answer 4

• Wages rose by 60% - despite growth in workforce due to immigration

Question 5

Ways federal govt negatively impacted workers

Answer 5

• Govt laissez faire approach to large corporations
• Supreme court issued injunctions to stop strikes
• president Wilson agreed about potential for chaos - stopped Chinese immigration in 1882
• Govt not just laissez faire in approach - administrations corrupt, exchanged jobs/contracts for political loyalty

Question 6

Ways employers/rich people negatively impacted workers

Answer 6

• Inequality increased - 2% owned 30% wealth
• Contract systems - employers fire workers when demand low
• Few rights and long hours - 1889 2000 killed in accidents
• Pullman industrial paternalism - exploited workers by charging rent 25% higher than market, forced to live there

Question 7

Ways economy negatively impacted workers

Answer 7

• 1880s - economic downturn at end of period, took power away from workers -> workers gains from 1860-1880 reversed

Question 8

Ways trade unions negatively impacted workers

Answer 8

• 1869 - kol formed -> leader Uriah smith stephens wanted to ban Chinese immigration and didn’t let Asian immigrant join
• 1877 great railroad strike - workers realised that they needed to organise -> 25 killed, $10 million damage before military intervened
• Afl group of craft unions - only catered for white skilled men, aims only centre around higher wages and shorter hours

Question 9

Ways workers themselves were negatively impacted

Answer 9

• Unskilled workers got 70% less than skilled
• 1873 molly maguires - Irish immigrants wanting better working conditions, derailed railway carriages set fire to coal tips and murdered superintendent - discouraged many from joining unions
• Expansion of factory system - number of unskilled workers grew -> hired through contract system, forced to move between cities looking for jobs , earned a third of wages of skilled workers
• Workers had 12 hour days, few safety precautions in dangerous steel mills - excessive dust levels in coal mine sled to lung disease
• 1889 - 2000 railway workers died, widows/disabled got little compensation
• After Haymarket affair - division/animosity towards immigrants was exacerbated
• Immigrants filled demand for unskilled work - working 16 hours a day, sweatshop conditions -> 1900 70% came from places like Italy, Russia, Poland (catholic/Jewish so struggled to assimilate)
• Poor living conditions - 32000 crammed into New York’s dumbbell tenements
• Life of railroad workers dangerous - life insurance companies refused to give them coverage