Lesson 9: The Labor Movement Flashcards
AFL (American Federation of Labor) Definition
organization of trade unions that represented skilled workers
Anarchist Definition
person who opposes organized government
Collective Bargaining Definition
process by which a union representing a group of workers negotiates with management for a contract
Haymarket Riot Definition
labor rally in Chicago in 1886 that ended in violence when a bomb exploded
ILGWU (International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union) Definition
union of garment workers formed in 1900
Knights of Labor Definition
American labor organization founded in 1869 to protect the rights of workers
Strikebreaker Definition
replacement for a striking worker
Sweatshop Definition
workplace where people labor long hours in poor conditions for low pay
Trade Union Definition
an association of trade workers formed to gain higher wages and better working conditions
Triangle Fire Definition
fire in 1911 at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City that killed nearly 150 workers
How were the Pre-Civil War conditions in factories?
Workers had to adjust to the new kinds of factories of the late 1800s. Before the Civil War, most factories were small and family-run. Bosses knew their workers by name and chatted with them about their families. Because most workers had skills that the factory needed, they could bargain with the boss for wages.
What was the change in the conditions of factories by 1880?
By the 1880s, the relationship between worker and boss had changed. People worked all day tending machines in a large, crowded, noisy room. Because their skills were easily replaced, many workers were forced to work for low wages. In the garment trade and other industries, sweatshops became common. A sweatshop is a workplace where people labor long hours in poor conditions for low pay. Most sweatshop workers were young women or children.
How many children, under age 15, in America were working according to the 1900 census? What conditions did they have to deal with? Why did they have limited education?
The 1900 census reported nearly 2 million children under age 15 at work throughout the country. Boys and girls labored in hazardous textile mills, tobacco factories, and garment sweatshops. In coal mines, they picked stones out of the coal for 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. Working children had little time for schooling. Lack of education reduced their chance of building a better life as adults.
What were the dangers of factories?
Factories were filled with hazards. Lung-damaging dust filled the air of textile mills. Cave-ins and gas explosions plagued mines. In steel mills, vats of molten metal spilled without warning. Some workers had their health destroyed. Others were severely injured or killed in industrial accidents. In one year, 195 workers died in the steel mills of Pittsburgh.
Remember: The Stock Handlers Union represented workers who unloaded and fed the cattle in the Chicago Stock Yards.
The Stock Handlers Union represented workers who unloaded and fed the cattle in the Chicago Stock Yards.