~ ~ NOTES: Labor NOTES: Labor

DebacleDebacle ~ ~

What is my job?

What do you find disturbing or

unusual about the image?

Child LaborChild Labor

What is my job?

What do you find disturbing or

unusual about the image?

What is my job?

What do you find disturbing or

unusual about the image?

What is my job?

What do you find disturbing or

unusual about the image?

What is my job?What do you find

disturbing or unusual about the

image?

Labor Force Distribution

1870-1900

Labor Force Distribution

1870-1900

The Changing American

Labor Force

The Changing American

Labor Force

Triangle Fire

What is a “Shirtwaist”?

• 19th and early 20th centuries, the shirtwaist blouse was regarded as the ‘model shirt’ for the independent, working woman. – A button-down blouse, the

functional shirtwaist was valued for its ready-to-wear, workplace appeal and its simple design, originally modeled on menswear shirts.

– It could be worn jacketless and fashionably tucked into the waistband of a skirt, and it was sold as both an individual piece and as an ensemble.

Average Shirtwaist

Worker’s Week

Average Shirtwaist

Worker’s Week51 hours or less 4,554 5%52-57 hours 65,033 79%58-63 hours 12,211 15%Over 63 hours 562 1%

Total employees, men and women 82,360

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory

Asch Building, 8th and 10th Floors

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory

Asch Building, 8th and 10th Floors

Typical NYC Sweatshop, 1910

Typical NYC Sweatshop, 1910

Typical NYC Sweatshop, 1910Typical NYC Sweatshop, 1910

Typical NYC Sweatshop, 1910

Typical NYC Sweatshop, 1910

Typical NYC Sweatshop, 1910

Typical NYC Sweatshop, 1910

Typical NYC Sweatshop, 1910

Typical NYC Sweatshop, 1910

• Dark cramped shops made exhausting work still more difficult and dangerous.  The end of a 10 or 12 hour day was only the beginning of a long walk or ride home to scant food and crowded rooms.

Fire escape on side of building. Made of poor quality metal that melted during the fire.

Crumpled Fire Escape, 26 Died

Crumpled Fire Escape, 26 Died

10th Floor After the Fire10th Floor After the Fire

• The 240 employees sewing shirtwaists on the ninth floor had their escape blocked by back-to-back chairs and workbaskets in the aisles.  The 75-foot long paired sewing machine tables obstructed essential

access to the windows, stairs, and elevators.

Dead Bodies on the Sidewalk

Dead Bodies on the Sidewalk

One of the “Lucky” Ones?One of the “Lucky” Ones?

Page of theNew York

Journal

Page of theNew York

Journal

Relatives Review Bodies146 Dead

Relatives Review Bodies146 Dead

One of the Many Funerals

One of the Many Funerals

5 min film clip

What was life like in factories?

-Who:

-How long:

-What:

EVERYONE EVERYONE (men, women, & children)(men, women, & children)

12 hours, 6 days a week12 hours, 6 days a week

Piecework … paid by how Piecework … paid by how much you produce = VERY much you produce = VERY

DEMANDINGDEMANDING

REACTIONS to conditions

1.) Labor unions = organization formed to protect workers’ interests

a.) American Federation of Labor

i. Samuel Gompers

ii. Organized skilled laborers

iii. increase wages, better hours and conditions

How the AF of L Would Help the

Workers

How the AF of L Would Help the

Workers× Catered to the skilled worker. Catered to the skilled worker. ****

× Represented workers in matters of Represented workers in matters of national legislation.national legislation.

× Maintained a national strike fund.Maintained a national strike fund.

× Evangelized the cause of unionism.Evangelized the cause of unionism.

× Prevented disputes among the many Prevented disputes among the many craft unions. craft unions. ****

× Mediated disputes between Mediated disputes between management and labor. management and labor. ****

× Pushed for Pushed for closed shopsclosed shops.**.**

Haymarket Riot (1886)

Haymarket Riot (1886)

McCormick Harvesting Machine Co.McCormick Harvesting Machine Co.

2.) Strikes: stoppage of work

a.) Haymarket Riot – want 8 hour work day

i. scabs = people who work when everyone is on strike

ii. strikers fight scabs … bombs thrown at police riot

Haymarket MartyrsHaymarket Martyrs

The Pullman Strike of 1894

The Pullman Strike of 1894

b.) Pullman strike – protest wage cuts & conditions

A “Compa

nyTown”:

Pullman, IL

A “Compa

nyTown”:

Pullman, ILi. Owners forced

workers to live in a company town & pay rent to the company (took all of the workers $)

Pullman CarsPullman Cars

A Pullman A Pullman porterporterii. at the height of strike company was shut down (stopped rail traffic and mail)

a. = interfered with interstate commerce (violates Sherman Anti Trust Act)

iii. government is brought in to end the strike … Sherman Anti-trust act = no trusts / monopolies (interfere with trade) & does not recognize unions courts say no STRIKES!!!

Government by injunction!Government by injunction!