Labor Unions and Their Impact

The video discusses the exploitation of labor during the Gilded Age, highlighting poor working conditions, low wages, and child labor. It explains the formation of labor unions like the National Labor Union, Knights of Labor, AFL, and IWW, which aimed to improve wages and conditions. The unions employed strategies like collective bargaining and strikes, leading to significant events such as the Great Strike of 1877, Haymarket Affair, and Pullman Strike. Labor unions ultimately influenced business practices and became a political force, advocating for workers' rights and leading to the celebration of Labor Day.

What was one of the main reasons families needed every member, including children, to work during the Gilded Age?

• High cost of living

• Low wages

• Government policies

• Lack of education

What was the primary demand of the National Labor Union?

• Equal pay for women

• An 8-hour workday

• Higher wages

• Better working conditions

Which labor union was founded by Samuel Gompers and focused on skilled labor?

• Industrial Workers of the World

• National Labor Union

• Knights of Labor

• American Federation of Labor

What was the main belief of Eugene V. Debs and the IWW regarding capitalism?

• It was beneficial for workers

• It had failed American workers

• It should be supported by unions

• It needed minor reforms

What is collective bargaining?

• A way to increase production

• A strategy where workers negotiate individually

• A method where unions negotiate as a group

• A tactic to replace striking workers

Which event involved a labor protest that turned into a riot after a bomb was thrown at police?

• Great Strike of 1877

• Pullman Strike

• Haymarket Affair

• Homestead Strike

What was the role of 'scabs' during the Pullman Strike?

• Replacement workers

• Union leaders

• Government officials

• Strike organizers

How did labor unions influence political discourse in America?

• By supporting only one political party

• By making worker rights a key political issue

• By reducing the number of strikes

• By focusing solely on economic policies

What is the significance of Labor Day in the United States?

• To recognize the achievements of industrialists

• To commemorate the signing of labor laws

• To honor the contributions of the labor movement

• To celebrate the end of summer

What was one of the outcomes of labor unions forcing big businesses to consider workers?

• Increased profits for businesses

• Improved working conditions and wages

• Decreased union membership

• More government intervention