Trade Union Revision Flashcards

1
Q

Who was the president of the Iron Moulders’ International Union in 1863?

A

William H Slyvis - first attempted mass membership across craft lines

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2
Q

What did Slyvis’ IMIU develop into?

A

The 1866 National Labour Union (NLU). 300,000 members by 1868. Rejected AAs

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3
Q

How many women were in the workforce in 1890?

A

35% (all unskilled)

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4
Q

How much would an unskilled labourer earn in comparison to an artisan in the 1880s?

A

1/3 the wage

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5
Q

How many railroad workers were killed in 1889 through accidents?

A

2000

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6
Q

When and who founded the Knights of Labor (KoL)?

A

1869, Uriah Smith Stevens

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7
Q

Who took over the KoL in 1879, and how did his agenda differ from Stevens’?

A

Terence V. Powderly - tried to unite skilled and unskilled workers, inc. women. Demanded 8 hr day, equal pay and abolition of child labour

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8
Q

What did V Powderly scrap in 1885?

A

anti-strike policy - Wabash railroad strike.

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9
Q

What was the membership of the KoL in 1886?

A

1886: 700,000 (incl. 10,000 women and 50,000 AAs)

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10
Q

Who founded the AFL (and when?)

A

Samuel Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor in 1886

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11
Q

What were the aims of the AFL?

A
  • 8 hour day
  • Utility of strikes and protests
  • Industry giants worked alongside
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12
Q

What did the AFL membership reach in 1914?

A

2 million. Rejected racism, too

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13
Q

What union developed to protect the interests of AAs?

A

The National Negro Labour Union - White groups would not affiliate with

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14
Q

What group represented teamsters, chauffers, warehousemen and helpers of America?

A

Teamsters Union

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15
Q

what did the Industry Workers of the World represent?

A

poor and illiterate workers. Formed in Chicago 1905; generally militant - not trusted by employers

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16
Q

What was the Haymarket Affair 1886?

A

Violence between workers and the McCormick harvester plant, which led to 4 casualties. The following day, a riot held in the town square saw a bomb thrown into a crowd, killing 7 police officers (four more rioters were killed in crossfire). 8 were arrested, 5 executed.

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17
Q

What fear arose from the Haymarket affair?

A

Xenophobia + fear of anarchism

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18
Q

What happened in the Homestead Strike, 1892

A

Strike, lasting 143 days, between AAISW (Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers) and the Carneige Steel Co. The union called for a wage rise, which was met with a 22% cut. Collective bargaining failed, leading to a lockout by Frick. Scab labour employed + opposed by strikes by AAISW - led to Pinkerton Investigation leading to 13 casualties. State militia broke the strike, leading to arrests and fines. Frick was assassinated by an anarchist, furthering hatred towards unions - membership fell from 24,000 to 6,300 by 1909 (from 1891)

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19
Q

What happened during the Pullman Strike, 1894?

A
  • Wage cuts and 1/3rd force laid off.
  • ARU (American Railway Union) created by Eugene Debs united US railway workers to hold a general strike against Pullman sleeper coaches.
  • Government (Cleveland) intervened to support Pullman - feds to break strike.
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20
Q

What are the statistics for Trade Union membership in 1900, 1910 and 1920?

A

500,000
2 million
5 million

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21
Q

What marked the (temporary) end to laissez faire capitalism?

A

Wilson’s creation of the Department of Labor

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22
Q

What did the Clayton Anti-Trust Act bring?

A

Limited the use of court injunctions against striking unions

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23
Q

How many immigrants entered the country between 1900-1930?

A

18 million

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24
Q

When did oriental immigration end?

A

Chinese: 1882
Japanese: 1907

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25
Q

Name a few monopolies

A
Andrew Carneige (steel)
John D Rockerfeller (oil)
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26
Q

What was brought in to end monopolies?

A

Sherman anti-trust Act

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27
Q

How were strikes usually broken?

A

Use of injunctions

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28
Q

What did Lochner Vs New York conclude?

A

It would be a violation of the 14th amendment to bring in the 10 hour working day (as it violated the worker’s right to select the amount of hours to work)

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29
Q

When were the recessions?

A

1873, 1902, 1907, 1910

30
Q

Between 1914 to 1918, how much did factory production and real wages rise by?

A

factory production increased 35%

Real wages +20%

31
Q

What was union membership in 1916 and 1920?

A

2.7 million

5 million

32
Q

What was unemployment in 1929 & 1933?

A

3%

25%

33
Q

How much of the workforce was unionised in 1933?

A

10%

34
Q

What was the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids BSCP?

A

AA organisation formed by Phillip A Randolph

35
Q

What portion of the workforce was made of immigrants in major cities?

A

75%

36
Q

What did Congress offer Roosevelt in order to fix the financial crisis during the 1930s?

A

100 days of emergency powers

37
Q

What did the June 1933 National Industry Act bring?

A

The establishment of the National Recovery Administration

38
Q

What did the NRA do?

A

Hoped to develop codes of practice for employees and employers, companies who joined displayed the blue eagle. By 1934, had 557 codes, and covers 23 million workers.

39
Q

When was the NRA declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court?

A

1935

40
Q

What was the National Labor Relation Act, 1935 colloquially known as?

A

The Wagner Act

41
Q

What did the NLRA do?

A

First legislation to recognise the right to join TU and collective bargaining

  • Organised spies and blacklisting banned
  • National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) established
42
Q

What did the NLRB do?

A

Addressed unfair labour practices in employment.

43
Q

By how much did TU membership rise in the period 1933-1938?

A

from 3.7 million to 9 million

44
Q

What did the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) 1938 do?

A

Installed $25 minimum weekly wage. Prohibited employment of children under 16

45
Q

Congress of Industrial Organisations: When was it formed, and how was it different to the AFL?

A

Formed in 1935

Break-away of the AFL which did not support unskilled workers. Had 3.7 million members, helped minorities

46
Q

How many strikes were there in 1930 and 1946?

A
1930 = 182,975
1946 = 4,600,000
47
Q

What percentage of the workforce were in unions in 1930 and 1945?

A

1930: 11.6%
1945: 35.5%

48
Q
What happened to:
Food
Manufacturing 
Aircraft 
production levels?
A

Food - increased by 1/3
Manufacturing - doubled
Aircraft - 26x

49
Q

How many were in a union by 1945?

A

14.8 million

50
Q

What did Roosevelt create (which was not enforced)?

A

Fair Employment Practices Committee

51
Q

What did the Taft-Hartley Act 1947 do?

A

Made closed shop unions illegal
President could order 60 day cooling off period to help prevent strikes
Union leaders had to swear anti-communist allegiance.
Truman tried to veto, overturned by Congress

52
Q

By how much did GNP rise by between 1950-1960?

A

$318 billion to $488 billion

53
Q

Stats of life at the end of 1950s?

A

60% of families owned a home
75% owned cars
87% owned a TV
Income was 200% higher than in the 1920s

54
Q

By how much did blue collar membership decline in the 1950s?

A

50%

55
Q

When did the AFL merge with the CIO?

A

1955 - 85% of union membership in one organisation

56
Q

How many Americans lived below the poverty line in 1960?

A

35 million Americans (20%)

1/3 in rural areas, 2 million migrant farm workers in extreme poverty

57
Q

What did Kennedy’s new frontier promise to bring?

A
  • Increase minimum wage rejected in 1961
  • Equal Pay Act, 1963
  • 1970 = women’s wage = 62% of men’s, 2004-80%
58
Q

LBJ’s Great Society

A

Civil Rights Act 1964 -prohibited discrimination
Economic Opportunity Act 1964 - Office of Economic Opportunity - improved education and training so young people could get jobs

59
Q

How many members did the AFL-CIO have by the end of the sixties?

A

16 million members

60
Q

By how much did union workers receive more than regular workers?

A

20% more

61
Q

What could a union worker expect?

A

Medical and dental insurance, paid holiday, unemployment insurance and pensions

62
Q

How did Ford change by 1969?

A

7,665 workers, 74 were black. AAs held 3% of apprenticeships in skilled trades

63
Q

What happened in 1981?

A

Air Traffic Controllers’ Strike - Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organisation called a strike = 13,000 of 17,500 took part. Reagan announced workers not returning to job in 48 hours would be fired, and have a lifelong employment ban. 3,000 supervisors were brought in, training programmes were accelerated and 900 military controllers were added. Public were unsympathetic.

64
Q

What was union membership in 1992?

A

12%, falling from 27% in 1970

65
Q

What were prices versus real wages in 1979?

A

Prices rose 13%

Real wages fell 80%

66
Q

By how much did CEO wages rise by?

A

340%

67
Q

What did the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1970 bring?

A

Health and Safety regs

68
Q

What did Carter do to minimum wages?

A

Raised them by $2.65

69
Q

Stats for white collar workers

A

1960 30.5 million white collar workers, 1980 = 50.5 million

70
Q

How many unions were represented in the Coalition of Black Trade Unions?

A

37 unions represented in Coalition of Black Trade Unions – 1,200 black unionists assembled.

71
Q

Women in Trade Unions: Summarise their importance from 1903 onwards?

A

1903 – Women’s Trade Union League set up by Mary Kenny O’Sullivan and Rose Sneiderman. Wanted 8 hour day and a minimum wage, gained the support of Eleanor Roosevelt, continued protest when New Deal did not grant equal pay. 1940 800,000 women were in unions, 1944, 3 million. Coalition of Labor Union Women est. 1974 affiliated with AFL-CIO, Olga Madar became its first president.
1991 11% of US population lived below poverty line