Trade Union Revision Flashcards
Who was the president of the Iron Moulders’ International Union in 1863?
William H Slyvis - first attempted mass membership across craft lines
What did Slyvis’ IMIU develop into?
The 1866 National Labour Union (NLU). 300,000 members by 1868. Rejected AAs
How many women were in the workforce in 1890?
35% (all unskilled)
How much would an unskilled labourer earn in comparison to an artisan in the 1880s?
1/3 the wage
How many railroad workers were killed in 1889 through accidents?
2000
When and who founded the Knights of Labor (KoL)?
1869, Uriah Smith Stevens
Who took over the KoL in 1879, and how did his agenda differ from Stevens’?
Terence V. Powderly - tried to unite skilled and unskilled workers, inc. women. Demanded 8 hr day, equal pay and abolition of child labour
What did V Powderly scrap in 1885?
anti-strike policy - Wabash railroad strike.
What was the membership of the KoL in 1886?
1886: 700,000 (incl. 10,000 women and 50,000 AAs)
Who founded the AFL (and when?)
Samuel Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor in 1886
What were the aims of the AFL?
- 8 hour day
- Utility of strikes and protests
- Industry giants worked alongside
What did the AFL membership reach in 1914?
2 million. Rejected racism, too
What union developed to protect the interests of AAs?
The National Negro Labour Union - White groups would not affiliate with
What group represented teamsters, chauffers, warehousemen and helpers of America?
Teamsters Union
what did the Industry Workers of the World represent?
poor and illiterate workers. Formed in Chicago 1905; generally militant - not trusted by employers
What was the Haymarket Affair 1886?
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.
What fear arose from the Haymarket affair?
Xenophobia + fear of anarchism
What happened in the Homestead Strike, 1892
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)
What happened during the Pullman Strike, 1894?
- 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.
What are the statistics for Trade Union membership in 1900, 1910 and 1920?
500,000
2 million
5 million
What marked the (temporary) end to laissez faire capitalism?
Wilson’s creation of the Department of Labor
What did the Clayton Anti-Trust Act bring?
Limited the use of court injunctions against striking unions
How many immigrants entered the country between 1900-1930?
18 million
When did oriental immigration end?
Chinese: 1882
Japanese: 1907
Name a few monopolies
Andrew Carneige (steel) John D Rockerfeller (oil)
What was brought in to end monopolies?
Sherman anti-trust Act
How were strikes usually broken?
Use of injunctions
What did Lochner Vs New York conclude?
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)
When were the recessions?
1873, 1902, 1907, 1910
Between 1914 to 1918, how much did factory production and real wages rise by?
factory production increased 35%
Real wages +20%
What was union membership in 1916 and 1920?
2.7 million
5 million
What was unemployment in 1929 & 1933?
3%
25%
How much of the workforce was unionised in 1933?
10%
What was the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids BSCP?
AA organisation formed by Phillip A Randolph
What portion of the workforce was made of immigrants in major cities?
75%
What did Congress offer Roosevelt in order to fix the financial crisis during the 1930s?
100 days of emergency powers
What did the June 1933 National Industry Act bring?
The establishment of the National Recovery Administration
What did the NRA do?
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.
When was the NRA declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court?
1935
What was the National Labor Relation Act, 1935 colloquially known as?
The Wagner Act
What did the NLRA do?
First legislation to recognise the right to join TU and collective bargaining
- Organised spies and blacklisting banned
- National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) established
What did the NLRB do?
Addressed unfair labour practices in employment.
By how much did TU membership rise in the period 1933-1938?
from 3.7 million to 9 million
What did the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) 1938 do?
Installed $25 minimum weekly wage. Prohibited employment of children under 16
Congress of Industrial Organisations: When was it formed, and how was it different to the AFL?
Formed in 1935
Break-away of the AFL which did not support unskilled workers. Had 3.7 million members, helped minorities
How many strikes were there in 1930 and 1946?
1930 = 182,975 1946 = 4,600,000
What percentage of the workforce were in unions in 1930 and 1945?
1930: 11.6%
1945: 35.5%
What happened to: Food Manufacturing Aircraft production levels?
Food - increased by 1/3
Manufacturing - doubled
Aircraft - 26x
How many were in a union by 1945?
14.8 million
What did Roosevelt create (which was not enforced)?
Fair Employment Practices Committee
What did the Taft-Hartley Act 1947 do?
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
By how much did GNP rise by between 1950-1960?
$318 billion to $488 billion
Stats of life at the end of 1950s?
60% of families owned a home
75% owned cars
87% owned a TV
Income was 200% higher than in the 1920s
By how much did blue collar membership decline in the 1950s?
50%
When did the AFL merge with the CIO?
1955 - 85% of union membership in one organisation
How many Americans lived below the poverty line in 1960?
35 million Americans (20%)
1/3 in rural areas, 2 million migrant farm workers in extreme poverty
What did Kennedy’s new frontier promise to bring?
- Increase minimum wage rejected in 1961
- Equal Pay Act, 1963
- 1970 = women’s wage = 62% of men’s, 2004-80%
LBJ’s Great Society
Civil Rights Act 1964 -prohibited discrimination
Economic Opportunity Act 1964 - Office of Economic Opportunity - improved education and training so young people could get jobs
How many members did the AFL-CIO have by the end of the sixties?
16 million members
By how much did union workers receive more than regular workers?
20% more
What could a union worker expect?
Medical and dental insurance, paid holiday, unemployment insurance and pensions
How did Ford change by 1969?
7,665 workers, 74 were black. AAs held 3% of apprenticeships in skilled trades
What happened in 1981?
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.
What was union membership in 1992?
12%, falling from 27% in 1970
What were prices versus real wages in 1979?
Prices rose 13%
Real wages fell 80%
By how much did CEO wages rise by?
340%
What did the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1970 bring?
Health and Safety regs
What did Carter do to minimum wages?
Raised them by $2.65
Stats for white collar workers
1960 30.5 million white collar workers, 1980 = 50.5 million
How many unions were represented in the Coalition of Black Trade Unions?
37 unions represented in Coalition of Black Trade Unions – 1,200 black unionists assembled.
Women in Trade Unions: Summarise their importance from 1903 onwards?
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
