Labor Movement Flashcards
people who work for wages in factories, mills, mines, and other businesses, usually performing manual labor
working-class
a method in which factory production is divided into separate tasks, with one task assigned to each worker
division of labor
a small factory where employees work long hours under poor conditions for low wages
sweatshops
the practice of using children in manual labor positions
child labor
social reformer; fought for the implementation of better living conditions for the working class and immigrants; Hull House
Jane Addams
run-down apartment buildings where immigrants and working-class people lived; slums
tenements
a group of workers organized to protect the interests of its members– better hours, pay, benefits, etc.
labor unions
a national labor organization, founded in 1886, that consisted mainly of skilled workers and focused on higher wages and shorter workdays; still exists today
American Federation of Labor (AFL)
a political theory that advocates ownership of the means of production, such as factories and farms, by the people rather than by capitalists and landowners
socialism
negotiations between employers and employee representatives concerning wages, working conditions, and other terms of employment.
collective bargaining
a violent clash in 1886 between union supporters and Chicago police that divided and weakened the labor movement
Haymarket Affair
an 1892 Carnegie Steel plant workers’ strike that was broken by the state militia and resulted in the union being shut out of the plant for four decades
Homestead Strike
an 1894 railway workers’ strike that was broken by federal troops, weakening the labor movement.
Pullman Strike
people who reject all forms of government; gained more favor in the 1890s after failed strikes by union groups
anarchists
second in command to Andrew Carnegie; hired the Pinkerton Security group to break up the Homestead Strike
Henry Frick
formerly a detective agency; gained a reputation of breaking up strikes in the 1880s/1890s; violence at Homestead weakened this group
Pinkertons
Helped found two of the largest labor unions, including the Industrial Workers of the World; was the leader of the American Socialist party; ran for President of the United States five times
Eugene V. Debs
helped found the AFL, serving as its president for over 40 years; favored cooperation rather than drastic tactics
Samuel Gompers
labor union leader in New York City; after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, fought for regulations for fire safety in factories
Rose Schneiderman
fiery and persuasive speaker; fought for the rights of coal miners and textile workers to form unions.
Mary Harris Jones
