turning points

Question 1

What was the cause of the Pullman Strike and when was it

Answer 1

• 1894
• Pullman Company cut wages by 25%, but kept rents high in company-owned housing.
• Workers were living in poor conditions despite the wage cuts.
• Strike started at the Pullman Company in Chicago, quickly spread to 27 states.

Question 2

How did the government respond to the Pullman Strike?

Answer 2

• 12,000 federal troops were sent by President Grover Cleveland to break the strike.
• Federal troops were used to enforce an injunction issued by a judge, making the strike illegal.
• Debs and other union leaders were arrested, and the strike was crushed.

Question 3

What was the outcome of the Pullman Strike

Answer 3

• Strike collapsed after troops intervened and leaders were arrested.
• Debs (leader of the strike) was jailed for 6 months.
• In Re Debs passed 1895

Question 4

what was the significance of the pullman strike?

Answer 4

• Highlighted the government’s alignment with business interests.
• Public opinion shifted against the strike
• it revealed the growing tensions between labour and capital.

Question 5

What was the Haymarket Affair in 1886?

Answer 5

• The strike was a rally for an 8-hour workday in Chicago.
• The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was involved, and workers were pushing for better working conditions.
• Thousands of workers gathered at Haymarket Square for a peaceful demonstration.

Question 6

What happened during the Haymarket Affair of 1886?

Answer 6

• A bomb was thrown at police, killing 7 officers.
• The bomb’s source was unclear, but anarchists were blamed.
• 7 union leaders were arrested, even though they had no direct involvement in the bombing.

Question 7

What was the aftermath of the Haymarket Affair in 1886?

Answer 7

• Anarchist movement was linked to the bombing, and public fear of radicalism grew.
• 7 men were convicted and sentenced to death, although later one had his sentence commuted.
• The union movement took a significant hit, as the strike was viewed as violent and dangerous by the public.

Question 8

What did the Wagner Act (1935) do for unions?

Answer 8

• Gave workers the right to form unions and bargain collectively.
• Established the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to supervise union elections.
• Outlawed unfair labour practices by employers, like firing union members.

Question 9

How did the Wagner Act impact union membership?

Answer 9

• Union membership surged after the passage of the Wagner Act.
• Led to the growth of CIO (Congress of Industrial Organizations), a new union federation focused on industrial workers.
• By 1940, 1 in 3 workers were part of a union, marking a major increase in union participation.

Question 10

What was the purpose of the Taft-Hartley Act and when was it

Answer 10

• 1947
• Restrained union power by banning closed shops
• Allowed states to pass right-to-work laws (banning compulsory union membership).
• Established an 80-day cooling-off period for strikes that could endanger national interests.

Question 11

What impact did the Taft-Hartley Act have on unions?

Answer 11

• Weakened unions by making it harder to organize workers and control strikes.
• Restricted labour movement activities, including secondary boycotts and jurisdictional strikes.
• Limited union leaders’ political power by preventing them from donating to political parties.

Question 12

What was the PATCO Strike and when was it ?

Answer 12

• 1981
• Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization members went on strike for better working conditions and a reduction in hours.
• The strike was illegal because federal employees were prohibited from striking under the Civil Service Reform Act.
• 13,000 controllers participated, demanding better wages and shorter hours.

Question 13

How did President Reagan respond to the PATCO strike?

Answer 13

• Reagan declared the strike illegal and issued an ultimatum: return to work in 48 hours or face termination.
• 11,000 workers were fired and permanently replaced.
• Reagan’s action sent a clear message about the government’s stance on public sector unions.

Question 14

What was the significance of the PATCO strike?

Answer 14

• The strike’s failure marked a turning point for public sector unions in the U.S.
• It set the tone for anti-union sentiment in the following decades.
• Public sector unionism was severely weakened, and Reagan’s stance created a precedent for future governmental action against strikes.

Question 15

What led to the Homestead Strike of 1892?

Answer 15

• Homestead Steel Works in Pennsylvania reduced wages by 20% and cut worker benefits.
• Carnegie Steel Company tried to cut costs and prevent unionizing efforts.
• Workers went on strike, demanding better pay and working conditions.

Question 16

How did the employer respond to the Homestead Strike?

Answer 16

• Henry Clay Frick, Carnegie’s manager, called in the Pinkerton detectives to break the strike.
• Violence broke out, with several workers and Pinkertons killed in a gunfight.
• Frick hired strikebreakers (non-union workers) to replace strikers.

Question 17

What was the outcome and significance of the Homestead Strike?

Answer 17

• The strike was crushed, and union leaders were forced to accept the company’s terms.
• Violence and the use of private security (Pinkertons) demonstrated the power of employers.
• The event set a precedent for employer resistance and violent suppression of strikes in the future.