HISTORY 7B Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Samuel Gompers, Terence V. Powderly, Co-Operative Economics
Document Summary
History 7b lecture- union organizing and class struggle. Response of working people to gilded age- bargain collectively and win contracts to improve wages, hours, working conditions. Many employers refused to recognize unions, result of conflict was real class warfare. Deep and broad conflict across industries, people not involved in the conflict found it frightening: lots of strikes 1870-1900 in the midwest, california. Inaugural event of labor struggle: context: mass unemployment from 1873 panic, baltimore-ohio railroad cut wages 30% through 3 cuts; While cutting wages, increasing stockholder dividends and executive salaries: workers strike in martinsburg, va and then spreads across the railroad, stopped railroads in chicago and sf, sparked sympathy strikes in other industries. General strike among all workers in chicago and st. louis in solidarity- both skilled and unskilled, crossed racial lines in st. louis and louisville: government/employer response was quick and violent. Govs of 10 states called national guard/militia, shot strikers.
