The History of Labor Unions Essay - 508 Words

During the Progressive Era of the Gilded Age, many laborers were being mistreated by the companies that they worked for. Because of this, workers started forming labor unions or organized association of workers, formed to protect and further their rights and interests. Many of these labor unions failed, while few of them achieved their goals and still exist today. Many factors contributed to the failure of these labor unions. The labor unions were given a bad image, the reason for this was the media, and they did this by publishing articles depicting the unions as violent, communist groups. The government supported big business during this time, since the government had a lot of power; this was a huge setback in the labor unions’ battles.†¦show more content†¦The words chosen by the writer suggests that they do not agree with the actions of the labor unions. Other times, the newspapers would associate them with violence. During the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, Charl es M. Dollar Along with seeing labor movements as radical, many labor movements were labeled socialist by the media. In the cartoon in Document C, the labor movement is shown to be influenced by socialist controls. Considering the generally negative connotation that came with communism in the United States, when newspapers like Harper’s Weekly labeled organized labor as socialist, many people developed a negative attitude towards organized labor. The disapproval of organized labor was not exclusive to the American public but also the federal government. During the late 20th century, the Supreme Court became increasingly conservative on the issue of organized labor. In the Supreme Court case In re Debs, the court ruled that federal government controlled interstate commerce and was obligated to keep the railroads from obstructions and in that specific case, strikes or protests. The fact that a good portion of the American public and the federal government saw organized labor a s a detriment; it was no surprise that organized laborShow MoreRelatedThe History of Labor Unions Essay1241 Words   |  5 PagesSome of these ideologies included the free labor ideology and the producerist ideology. Free labor endorsed the belief that by removing slavery, or any other kind of barrier, everyone had an equal chance to try to get wealth (Farless). The producerist ideology tried to stay to the customary view of society and it stressed the importance of viewing the community instead of an individual (Farless). With these two ideologies, they had an impact on labor. 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Labor967 Words   |  4 PagesCase Study Assignment: The Role of Violence in U.S. Labor Why do we celebrate Labor Day? There is more to our 3-day weekend holiday celebrated by get-togethers, barbequing, and an extra day off work. We celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers. This happy ending did not have a happy start when immigrants were coming to America. They were cheap labor and unskilled so they became exploited. There was a rapid expansion in factories and manufacturing capabilities during theRead MoreUnions And The Freedom Of Collective Bargaining924 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Right-to-Work provides no ‘rights’ and no ‘work’...It’s purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining†(Martin Luther King). The roots of labor unions in the United States dates back to the late 18th Century, when skilled craftsmen joined forces against low product prices. 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