BOC Wk9: History of Labor Unions in the United States

I have found a Web sight that gives an great analagy of what history has to say about the United States Union acts. Also, I feel obligated to let you read the article your self. I do not want to quote all what was said due to it is a good written gathering of history on the labor unions here in the United States. To read this article fallow this link. Read more: labor union: In the United States — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/bus/A0861691.html#ixzz16tMt5MrV

Acording to most of what information I have read, the labor union arose in the second half of the ninteenth centry. It brought a great major change in the way people worked. This is when the mass industrial age started to introduce machines that were made for mass production. This led to less skilled individuals and, this ended up making employeers take advantage of their employees due to, no job was secure. Samuel Gompers helped  found the American Federation of Labor in 1886, in hopes to create a union for all workers. More often then not, minorities, women, immigrants, and the unskilled workers were often left out.

During the 1930’s, workiers started to demand pay raises and better job security. Of course employeers started rejecting their demands and thus, a wave of strikes swept across our country. Most often strikes ended up in violance of some sort. On Memorial Day in 1937, several thousand workers demonstrated in front of the Republic Steel Plant in South Chicago. Angry words were exchanged, followed by a thrown pop bottle. Shots were fired and tear gas grenades were thrown into the crowd. Ten strikers died, and 90 others were wounded in the protest.

Quote, “Carrying American flags and singing union songs, the marchers-- men, women and a few youngsters--formed a long line as they crossed the grassy field. Their destination was the main gate at Republic Steel's South Chicago plant on the city's Southeast Side, but facing them were about 150 Chicago police. (www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-chicagodays-republicsteelstrike-story,0,7125620.story).