Labor Unions In The 1800s

For over 40 years unions have been growing less dominant and shrinking. Labor unions date back to the eighteenth century, when new workers were in the need of representation.

“By the 1820s, various unions involved in the effort to reduce the working day from 12 to 10 hours began to show interest in the idea of federation-of joining together in pursuit of common objectives for working people”(Jackson , 2001). When workers started to realize the powerful effects their employers have, slowly more people started to join in groups in citywide federations. It created poverty for many and great fortune for some. Soon the gap had widened between skilled employees and the employer. They formed a group to resist injustice wage cuts, unsafe work environments, the long working hours, etc. This way they could protect their political and economic rights. In early 19th century unions were trying assist with improving work conditions and fight for protection for workers whether it was negotiating or starting a strike. Also, World War I lead to The Great Depression which was a huge influence on why wages were down and the erosion of Union membership loss. This occurred from 1920-1923.

One of the largest labor rallies happened between the years 1833 and 1837, where a citywide labor

Samuel Gompers was born in 1850. He arrived to America with his parents in London, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1872. He got involved with a cigar-making trade and was well educated, using sources such as newspapers, books, articles, etc. to break the repetition of different situations occurring in the workplace. He later used his knowledge to become a very passionate leader in his own union. Gompers became a role model, achieved his goals, and established a strong national trade union. He used collective bargaining as a tactic to fix issues such as benefits, wages, working conditions and