KEY TERMS Key Terms and People to Know for the Regents Exam
Labor Unions
In response to exploitation by business owners, workers formed unions to bargain collectively or hold strikes (refusing to work) to fight for better pay, better hours, and safer working conditions.
American Federation of Labor
The AFL was a successful union because it focused on skilled workers (who are harder to replace with other workers when they go on strike).
Strikes / Violence
Some strikes and union activities (the Homestead Strike, the Pullman Strike) resulted in violent confrontations between workers and security forces. These strikes showed that some labor organizers were willing to use force to achieve their goals.
Government Supports Business
Many strikes in the late 1800s failed because the government supported business leaders rather than workers. During the Pullman Railcar Strike (1894), the government used the military to stop the strike. 30 workers died due to violence.
Immigrants and Labor
Many workers in industrial factories were immigrants who had come to America for better economic opportunities. Factory owners supported open immigration because it provided an abundance of cheap labor for factories.