Labor Unions

  • Period: to

    Date of events

  • Noble Order of the Knights of Labor

    Noble Order of the Knights of Labor
    One of the largest labor groups in history the Noble Order of The Knights they pushed work laws like the eight-hour work day.
  • Labor Day Created

    Labor Day Created
    Labor day was first celebrated in Boston and in 1894 bacame a U.S. holiday. It is now celebrated on the first monday of every September.
  • American Federation of Labor formed

    American Federation of Labor formed
    One of the first labor unions in the U.S. by an alliance of craft unions.
  • Haymarket Square Riot

    Haymarket Square Riot
    For eight hours Chicago workers walked protesting McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. They wanted shorter working days and on May 3 police were used to protect strikebreakers then a scuffle broke out which resulted with one person dead and many others wounded.
  • "How the Other Half Lives"

    "How the Other Half Lives"
    Jason Riis took a series of photos to document the living conditions in these tenements houses in new york in the 1880s.
  • The Homestead Strike

    The Homestead Strike
    The strike turned into a battle when strikers and security agents. Because the strikers were still holding a lockout stick outside of Homestead Steel works in Homstead, PA.
  • The Pullman Strike

    The Pullman Strike
    George M. Pullman built and ran the town of Pullman. In 1893 wages were cut due to the panic of 1893. But Pullman would not lower rent costs due to these wage cuts. Within days there were thousands of people on strike and most union leaders were arrested.
  • Coal Strike of 1902

    Coal Strike of 1902
    The miners wanted a 20% pay increase and an eight-hour day. After 163 days the miners and the Department of Labor came to an agreement of a 10% increase and nine-hour days.
  • "The Jungle"

    "The Jungle"
    A muckraker named Upton Sinclair wrote this book. It showcased the work evironments of meat procesing and packing facilities. It exposed the corruption to the general public.
  • "The Bitter Cry of Children"

    "The Bitter Cry of Children"
    John Spargo wrote this book to discribe the conditions of work environment for child laborers. It opened people's eyes as to the age children should be allowed to work.
  • Pure Food and Drug Act

    Pure Food and Drug Act
    This is a federal law created to carefully moniter the food industry to prevent food being altered to much by the industries.
  • Triangle Shirt Factory Fire

    Triangle Shirt Factory Fire
    In New York City a shirt factory caught on fire. About 146 workers died in this fire. It is one of the most deadly industrial disaster.
  • Congress of Industrial Organizations

    Congress of Industrial Organizations
    Also known as th CIO and the idea for it was proposed by John Lewis in 1932. One of their biggest achivments was winning the GM sit-down strike in 1936.
  • Passing of the National Labor Relations act

    Passing of the National Labor Relations act
    This act limits how employers react to employees forming strikes and unions. This allows employees to change something iif they think its corrupt or dishonest.
  • GM Sit-down

    GM Sit-down
    This was a sit-down strike were General Motors shut down a lot of plant operations in Flint, Michigan and other cities. The factories were shut down from Febuary 11, 1936-December 30, 1946.
  • Fair Labor Standards Act Passed

    Fair Labor Standards Act Passed
    Also know as the Wages and Hours bill, this was passed to limit what employers can make their employies do. It sets limits for minimum wage, age limit, and length for overtime.
  • Steel Strike

    Steel Strike
    A strike by all of the United Steelworkers of America and ten steel companies. Herry Truman nationalized the american steel industery just before the workers walked out.
  • Major League Baseball Strike

    Major League Baseball Strike
    it was the first strike from major league baseball. It started April 1, 1972 and lasted till April 13, 1972. Base ball resumed when players and owners agreed to a $500.00 increase in pension.
  • New York Transit Strike

    New York Transit Strike
    In 2005 the NY city transit stike was called by the workers. Negotiations for a new contract with the MTA (Metropolis Transportation Authurity) broke down when it came to retierment , wage increase and pension. The strike officially began on December 20,2005 and endedon December 22, 2005.