Trade Unions Overview Flashcards
Key developments in the Gilded Age (1865–1900)
Rapid industrialization and rise of factory labor.
Key events in the Gilded Age
Formation of unions such as the Knights of Labor (1869) and the American Federation of Labor (AFL, 1886).
Challenges in the Gilded Age
Hostility from employers, use of strikebreakers, and federal government interventions like the Pullman Strike (1894).
Significance of the Gilded Age
Initial efforts to organize workers; limited success due to lack of legal protections and widespread anti-union sentiment.
Key legislation in the Progressive Era and World War I (1900–1920)
Clayton Antitrust Act (1914) exempts unions from antitrust laws.
Key organisations in Progressive era and WW1
AFL grows in influence under Samuel Gompers.
Impact of WW2
Increased demand for labor; some temporary gains in wages and working conditions.
Challenges of the Progressive era and World War 1
Anti-union violence and government suppression during post-war Red Scare.
Significance of Progressive Era and WW1
Period of growth for unions but hindered by political and social conservatism.
Key legislation during The Great Depression and New Deal (1929–1941)
Wagner Act (1935) strengthens workers’ rights to unionize and bargain collectively.
Key organisations during The Great Depression and New Deal
Formation of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO, 1935).
Challenges in the Great Depression and New Deal
Resistance from major corporations and uneven enforcement of labor laws.
Significance of the Great Depression and New Deal
Landmark victories for labor rights; unions gain legal recognition and increased membership.
Key legislation in post-war period and the Cold War
Taft-Hartley Act (1947) limits union power by outlawing closed shops and allowing government intervention in strikes.
Key challenges in the post war period
Anti-communist sentiment leads to purges of leftist union leaders.
