Gilded Age Workers

Across the united States, there was a rise of big business and corporations during the period of time between the American Civil War and World War I, or the Gilded Age. The growth of labor and corporations continuously changed the balance between economic and political power within the government, as well as within corporations. This change in the economy was accompanied by a conflict between the employers and the employees. The employers would not give their workers the rights that they had deserved. This led to the creation of labor organizations which is an organization of people who work in the same skilled occupation who act together in strikes and protests to achieve better pay, shorter hours, and safer worker conditions. The unfair and
unsafe working conditions laborers were subjected to led to the expansion of organized labor and the growth of unions. The events that led to the creation of labor organizations was the rapid industrialization of the economy during the post-Civil War period. More people were working in factories owned by large companies rather than working in small workshops owned by themselves or a small business owner. Additionally, there was an enormous influx in the population due to the huge numbers of immigrants coming over to the United States and people moving from the rural areas to the cities. They created a huge labor pool that decreased labor prices and the quality of the working conditions.
The working conditions were awful during the Industrial Revolution. As factories were being built, businesses needed workers. As more immigrants came to the United States, more workers became available. Despite the unfair treatment, these immigrants were desperate to work, allowing employers to set wages incredibly low. Because of this, most labor unions were unsuccessful; businesses never had a shortage of workers. People worked unreasonably long hours. Unskilled workers earned 10 cents an hour, while skilled workers earned a little more, but not significantly more. Women received one-third the pay that men received, and children received even less. Because of the lack of exercise and sunlight from doing work in factories, many children had physical deformities. The machines that were used in factories had no safety precautions, resulting in a countless number of injuries, even fatalities. Labor unions provide many benefits. Employees bond together to create a collective voice to negotiate with their employers, and when utilized correctly, can help both the employers and the employees. One of the advantages of dealing with a labor union as an employer is simpler negotiations. When dealing with a labor union, the employer doesn’t have to negotiate with many different employees; they talk to the head of the labor union. This allows the employer to negotiate faster and more efficiently without meeting with multiple employees. Labor unions also improve employee satisfaction. When a part of a labor union, employees feel they have more of a voice thus more power. When the employers meet the needs of the employees, they will be more satisfied in their jobs.
There were many major leaders of the labor movement. A key figure in American labor history was Samuel Gompers. Born in London, at the age of 13, Gompers immigrated to the United States with his family. By the age of 25, Gompers was president of his local union. From there, Gompers went on to help organize and lead the American Federation of Labor, or AFL. The American Federation of Labor focused on attainable goals in the workplace and was successful in gaining better pay and shorter hours. Gompers was elected as its first president and served 1886 until his death in 1924. Eugene Victor Debs was another major leader of the labor movement. Eugene Victor Debs founded and led the American Railway Union or ARU. The American Railway Union’s main goal was to unite railway employees from all types of jobs into one giant union to fight for worker solidarity.
The labor movement had many failures and successes.
Labor unions are a precarious balancing act; they have the potential to do good and bad. The National Labor Union, formed right after the end of the Civil War in 1866, was the first large-scale union created by workers to protect skilled and unskilled workers in both the countryside and the city but collapsed after the Depression of 1873 (triggered by the Panic of 1873). Eventually, in the 1870s, skilled and unskilled workers (as well as blacks and women) were again represented by the Knights of Labor. But, after being wrongfully associated with the Haymarket Square Bombing in 1886, they also collapsed. Despite these setbacks, workers continued to bargain and strike for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. The Great Railroad Strike, the Homestead Strike, and the Pullman Strike were the most notable strikes of this era. The labor movement also led to the creation of the most powerful union of the late 1880s, the American Federation of Labor. Labor unions ended child labor, established the legal rights of workers being able to form unions and collectively bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions, secured a guaranteed minimum wage and unemployment insurance for workers who lost their jobs. They also improved workplace safety and reduced on the job fatalities, and won workers’ compensation benefits for people who are injured on the job, pension, healthcare insurance, paid sick leave, vacations and holidays as standard benefits for
workers.