US Trade Unions (1877-1890)

Question 1

The Knights of Labour

Answer 1

• Founded in 1869
• Sought to unite workers of all races, genders, ethnicities, and occupations
• Lobbied government for the 8-hour day and child labour restrictions
• Campaigned for initiative and referendum
• Sought to build more cooperative labour, management relations
• 1885: 100,000 members
• Peaked at 750,000
• After Haymarket, rapid downfall, eventually non-existent

Question 2

The Haymarket Bomb Outrage

Answer 2

• May 3rd 1886
• McCormick Harvester Works, Chicago
• Many strikers were protesting
• Police fired into the crowd, several killed, many injured
• Anarchists of the Black International organised a meeting in Haymarket Square in protest, mayor present at the meeting
• Someone threw a bomb as the crowd began to disperse due to rain
• Policeman died, wounded 60, 6 of which died later
• 7 anarchists were arrested and found guilty, later executed in 1887
• Mainly due to this event, 8-hour day movement was a substantial failure
• Another example of failed organised labour

Question 3

Samuel Gompers & The American Federation of Labour

Answer 3

• AFL set up by Gompers in 1885
• Only admitted skilled, white men
• Objectives were comparatively limited
• Only focused on achieving higher wages and shorter workdays, forsaking larger social objectives that had motivated the Knights
• 1892: AFL grew, over 1/4 million members
• AFL acknowledged the Knights mistakes and was determined to avoid them
• Recognised autonomy of each trade, exec council could not interfere in the internal affairs of member unions
• Formed central and state federations to promote labour legislation
• AFL Policy: support unions in winning recognition and securing agreements from employers by collective bargaining, and to strike when these failed
• Gompers was the first president of the AFL in 1896 and served until he died in 1924
• AFL still exists today