Trade Unions Flashcards
What were labour rights like in 1865?
Not very good - Trade unions were small and limited, as they did not have enough support behind them - all unions were separate. No legal obligation to recognise or cooperate with them. And industrialisation led to an increase in semi/unskilled workers being excluded from trade unions.
What were the main issues for workers in 1865?
Some children as young as 8 had to work in mines
12 hour shifts, dangerous conditions, lack of compensation following accidents, Health and safety was expensive and opposed by employers.
What were the 4 main unions which developed?
NLU, KOL, AFL and Wobblies.
What does the NLU represent?
The idea of working class solidarity
What does NLU stand for?
National Labour Union
What did the NLU campaign for?
8 hour days, currency and banking reforms, ending of convict labour (slave labour), a federal labour department, immigration restrictions and promoted the cause of working women.
What was the NLUs legacy?
They were short lived, as between 1866 + 1867, a strike by iron founders failed which weakened their position, however it did not deter membership. 1868 had membership of 3,000 across USA but deterred in 1869 after the death of it’s leader.
Who did the KOL represent?
Wanted to unite skilled and unskilled labour as well as removing barriers of racial and culture origin imposed by existing labour associations. They also supported women
What does KOL stand for?
Knights of Labour
What did KOL campaign for?
8 hour day, equal pay for women and abolition of child labour.
Where did the membership of the NLU go after its demise?
To KOL
What destroyed KOLs reputation and what did this lead to?
The violence of the ‘Haymarket affair’, led to membership dwindling to 100,000 in 1890s and many of it’s members turned to the AFL or the Wobblies.
What success boosted KOLs membership in 1886?
The Wabash Railroad strike which boosted membership to 700,000 which included 50,000 AAs and 10,000 women.
What did the AFL represent?
It wanted to link all unions together to become the largest, effectively replaced the KOL.
What does AFL stand for?
American Federation of Labour
What did the AFL campaign for?
Wanted to stand up to large corporations, concentrated on practising the goals of raising wages and reducing hours. They did support the use of boycotts and strikes, Its leader (Gomper) also seeked reform through legislation.
What was the AFLs legacy?
It had over 2 million members by 1914 but still only represented a small percentage of the national industrial workforce. It was also the only remaining major national federation of trade unions in 1924 as well as playing a significant role in labour relations until 1992.
What year was the AFL founded?
1886
What year was KOL founded?
1869
What did the Wobblies represent?
They were a more militant organisation with a reputation of violence which meant that employers regarded them with suspicion.
What does Wobblies stand for?
Industrial Workers of the World
What did the Wobblies campaign for?
Defending the rights of poor or illiterate workers, e.g immigrants
When did membership of the Wobblies peak?
1923 with 100,000 members who were mainly western miners, lumbermen, fruit pickers and travelling workers.
When were the Wobblies founded?
1905