Labor in the Progressive Era

after Haymarket

Prepared by Tom Conry,Madison High SchoolPortland, OR

Labor – three possibilities Moderate – the American Federation of

Labor, headed by Samuel Gompers, craft union

Socialists – Socialist Party headed by Eugene Debs, works through elections

Radicals – International Workers of the World, headed by “Big Bill” Haywood, wants direct action

American Federation of Labor (AFL)Samuel Gompers Craft union Mostly white men More conservative Wanted shorter hours, higher

wages, better working conditions

What does labor want? "More“ Change will come through

collective bargaining

American Socialist PartyEugene Debs

Learned from failure of 1894 Pullman Strike

Formed political party, worked through elections

Diverse membership, many women

Wanted government ownership of big industry, vote for women, no child labor, right to strike

Change will come through elections

Industrial Workers of the WorldBig Bill Haywood et al. "The Wobblies" Industrial union, came out

of Western mining strikes Especially big in Oregon

and Washington Used strikes, boycotts,

songs, and education Rejected political parties

and elections Change will come through

a general strike and the workers will take over

Joe Hill of the IWW (Wobblies) Swedish immigrant (born

Hillstrom) IWW songwriter Framed for murder and

executed "Don't mourn – organize!"

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn of the IWWthe original Wobbly "Rebel Girl"

Joined the Wobblies at age 16 Great public speaker Helped to organize the 1912

Lawrence, Mass. "Bread and Roses" strike

A founder of the American Civil Liberties Union

Against capitalism Revolutionary union “One big union” Workers should

own industries Distrust of electoral

politics Work toward a

national general strike

What the Wobblies wanted

Why was labor angry?

sweatshop working conditions

child labor

Supreme Court decisions against labor Based on “liberty of contract” doctrine (14th

and 5th Amendments) Lochner v. New York (1905) states were

not allowed to restrict work hours Danbury Hatters case (1908) unions were

not allowed to boycott Before the Clayton Antitrust Act, striking

was against the law

Three events revitalize labor 1902 Anthracite strike (TR supports miners

against capital) 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist fire (sweatshop

working conditions exposed) 1912 Bread and Roses textile strike,

Lawrence, Massachusetts (high point of the IWW)

The Great Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902

King Coal Used in furnaces for heating Used in stoves for cooking Powered the railroads Powered factories Used in power-generating stations

Anthracite operators led by George “Divine Right” Baer

Installed by J.P. Morgan as head of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad

Social Darwinist Told TR there was "nothing to

negotiate"

How "Divine Right" Baer got his nickname

“The rights and interests of the laboring man will be protected and cared for, not by the labor agitators, but by the Christian men to whom God in His infinite wisdom has given control of the property interests of the country” [open letter to the press during the 1902 strike]

Workers’ demands Eight-hour day 10% raise Owners must recognize and bargain with

the union

What happened? United Mine Workers president John Mitchell

calls for arbitration (a presidential commission to settle the strike)

George “Divine Right” Baer refuses (and insults TR)

TR leans on J.P. Morgan to make Baer accept the commission

At the commission, Baer is disastrous Insults TR Gets bad press for the

owners by declaring: “They don’t suffer; they can’t even speak English.” (Baer on the miners’ situation)

Public sentiment favors the miners

The result: miners win! The commission accepts most of the

union demands (but not union recognition) TR becomes famous for the “square deal” Establishes the principle of presidential

intervention in important strikes and labor struggles

Why the Anthracite Strike of 1902 matters:previous presidents had sided with capital

Andrew Jackson in 1834 sent troops to break strike on the construction of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

War Department employees took over the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad during the Civil War

Rutherford B. Hayes sent troops to break the Great Railroad Strike of 1877

Grover Cleveland used troops to break the Pullman Strike of 1894

Now TR was offering a “Square Deal” to both management and labor

The "Square Deal" – Reforms increase Federal Power, ended Laissez Faire

"Let the watchwords of all our people be the old familiar watchwords of honesty, decency, fair-dealing, and

commonsense."... "We must treat each man on his worth and merits as a man. We must see that each is given a square

deal, because he is entitled to no more and should receive no less.""The welfare of each of us is dependent fundamentally

upon the welfare of all of us."--New York State Fair, Syracuse September 7, 1903

1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

Reaction

The Disaster that Ended Tammany Hall 146 dead, mostly

young women Most are Jewish or

Italian Catholics Doors were locked People saw that

machine politics were inadequate

1912 Lawrence, MA"Bread and Roses" textile strike

Lawrence 1912 – what happened? American Woolen

Company speeded up production and reduced wages

Mostly women workers

Diverse immigrant workforce

IWW asked to organize strike

How the IWW organized Set up democratic

committee of 50 workers, all nationalities

Union supplied food and fuel for 50,000 workers

Governor declared martial law

IWW says: "Bayonets cannot weave cloth"

The Children's Exodus Company tries

to starve workers

IWW & Socialist Party sends children out of town to other workers

New law: no children can leave

How the strikers won Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

takes children out (against the law)

Police beat women and children in front of cameras

Police riot enrages public American Woolen

Company forced to raise wages

Bread and Roses (1912) strike song

Lyrics

James Oppenheim, 1912

As we go marching, marching in the beauty of the day,A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill lofts grayAre touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses, For the people hear us singing:"Bread and Roses! Bread and Roses!"

As we go marching, marching we battle too for men,For they are women's children and we mother them again.Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes.Hearts starve as well as bodies;give us bread but give us roses.

As we go marching, marching we battle too for men,For they are women's children and we mother them again.Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes.Hearts starve as well as bodies;give us bread but give us roses.

As we go marching, marching unnumbered woman deadGo crying through our singing their ancient call for bread.Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew.Yes, it is bread we fight for, but we fight for roses too!

As we go marching, marching we bring the greater days.The rising of the women means the rising of the race,No more the drudge and idler, ten that toil where one reposesBut a sharing of life's glories:Bread and roses! Bread and roses!