Mixed Success for Unions

Mixed Success for Unions

​The union struggles of the late 1800s achieved mixed results for organized labor. Generally, unions experienced more setbacks than gains, and often failed to receive government support or backing from most Americans. But they did make some advances through collective bargaining and strikes, particularly in issues of hours and wages.

​Although the Railroad Strike of 1877 helped to boost union membership, it also prompted the federal government to side with business owners in most labor disputes. Unions needed government support in order to improve the lives of workers, but the federal government generally opposed union activities, sending troops to break up strikes and using other legal means to undermine unions.

The Pullman Strike revealed one way the federal government could intervene to favor employers over unions. To end the strike, a federal court issued an injunction, or a court order that prohibits a specific action, against the American Railway Union and its head, Eugene V. Debs. The court based the injunction on a broad interpretation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, which had been designed originally to prohibit trusts and monopolies. Now, it was invoked to penalize protesting workers on the grounds that their striking limited trade and commerce.

​Setbacks: Government Favors Owners over Workers

​When Debs and other railway union leaders ignored the injunction, they were arrested and sent to jail. Later, the Supreme Court ruled in the case In re Debs, that such a broad, or “blanket,” injunction was constitutionally legal. After the decision, federal judges legally shut down any strikes or boycotts that they deemed “conspiracies in restraint of trade.”

To thrive, unions required the support and respect of the American people. They failed to win that as well since the violent nature of strikes and of clashes like the Haymarket Affair caused many Americans to view union members as dangerous radicals. Violence and radicalism further weakened unions by scaring away potential union members.

​Most unions remained relatively small in the late 1800s, as only about 10 percent of the employed labor force joined. Even with that minority, work hours and wages improved steadily during this time. In fact, from 1890 to 1915, the average work hours per week for union employees fell from 54 to 49. Their weekly pay rose from $17.60 to $21.30.

​Gains: Unions Win Small Bread-and-Butter Victories

​This graph shows that workers were making an average of $3.70 more per week in 1915 than in 1890. At the same time, they were working almost six fewer hours per week.

​Wages and hours for nonunion workers also improved, although not to the same degree. Skilled laborers, whether union or nonunion, made the greatest gains, but most unskilled laborers, consisting largely of White women, African Americans, and new immigrants, still struggled to survive financially.

Unions accomplished more than securing better wages, hours, and working conditions—they also won some recognition of workers’ rights. They challenged an economic system in which owners could treat their workers no better than machines. Unions insisted that workers should be able to sit down with owners, as equals, at the bargaining table. This in itself gave some power to the working class, where it had little or none previously.

Multiple Choice

What was the general outcome of union struggles in the late 1800s?

• Unions experienced more gains than setbacks.

• Unions consistently received government support.

• Unions achieved mixed results with more setbacks than gains.

• Unions were fully supported by most Americans.

Multiple Choice

What action did the federal government take during the Railroad Strike of 1877?

• The federal government supported the unions' demands.

• The federal government remained neutral.

• The federal government sent troops to break up strikes.

• The federal government provided legal assistance to unions.

Multiple Choice

What was the legal basis for the injunction against the American Railway Union and its head, Eugene V. Debs?

• The Civil Rights Act

• The Sherman Antitrust Act

• The Wagner Act

• The Taft-Hartley Act

Multiple Choice

What was the Supreme Court's ruling in the case In re Debs?

• The injunction was unconstitutional.

• The injunction was too narrow in scope.

• The injunction was constitutionally legal.

• The injunction did not apply to union activities.

Multiple Choice

How did the violent nature of strikes and events like the Haymarket Affair affect the public's view of unions?

• It garnered more support for unions.

• It had no significant impact on public opinion.

• It led to increased membership in unions.

• It caused many to view union members as dangerous radicals.

Multiple Choice

What percentage of the employed labor force joined unions in the late 1800s?

• About 5%

• About 10%

• About 25%

• About 50%

Multiple Choice

From 1890 to 1915, how did the average work hours per week for union employees change?

• Increased from 54 to 60

• Decreased from 60 to 54

• Decreased from 54 to 49

• Remained the same at 54

Multiple Choice

By how much did the weekly pay rise for union employees from 1890 to 1915?

• From $17.60 to $20.00

• From $17.60 to $21.30

• From $15.00 to $20.00

• From $20.00 to $25.00

Multiple Choice

Which group made the greatest gains in wages and hours, whether union or nonunion?

• Skilled laborers

• Unskilled laborers

• White women

• African Americans

Multiple Choice

What did unions accomplish besides securing better wages, hours, and working conditions?

• They secured free housing for workers.

• They won some recognition of workers’ rights.

• They established a new currency system.

• They provided free education to workers' children.