Royer Adames
J. Fry
HIS-202-001
February 11, 2013
Labor
Movement Was a Positive Experience for the Working class
The
life of the working family during the 19th century was tough. “In good times
wages were low, hour’s long, and working conditions hazardous. Little of the
wealth that the growth of the nation had generated went to its workers.
Moreover, women and children made up a high percentage of the work force in
some industries and often received but a fraction of the wages a man could
earn.” There were also economic crises that lower the low pay of the industrial
worker and let to higher unemployment. At the same time millions of immigrants
that came to the country ready to work expanded increase the competition for
wages. “At the same time, technological improvements, which added so much to
the nation’s productivity, continually reduced the demand for skilled labor.” These conditions made it harder for the
working family. Laborers movement made a positive impact to them by establishing an eight hour schedule; educate them,
and abolishing child labor (Outline of U.S. History.)
The
long 12 to 14 hours of work for each single day let too little leisure (The
Knights of Labor.) The long working hours didn’t let the working families to
self-develop and to enjoy their wages with their families (Outline of U.S.
History.) The labor movement fought to shorten the hours of labor by a general
refusal to work for more than eight hours (The Knights of Labor.) “Labor
organizers believed that people who worked 12- and 14-hour days could not
possibly develop their full potential as human beings — they could not educate
themselves or appreciate the “finer things,” and they would be too tired and hard-worked
to be moral people and good citizens (The Knights of Labor.) The achievement of
this goal came slowly with a 10 hour schedule until 1930s when the federal
government became actively and Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 which limited the work day to 8
hours. This lead to, “to secure to the worker the full enjoyment of the
wealth they create, sufficient in which to develop their intellectual, moral
and social faculties; all of the benefits, recreation and pleasures of
association; in a word, to enable them to share in the gains and honors of
advancing civilization” (The Knights of Labor). Later on The People’s Party
secure this right by demanding enforcement (People’s Party Platform 332)
The lives of the
unskilled laborer which included most if the working family had a hard time
paying there bill because of high social cost. Adding was that there wages were
low because of high availability of unskilled workers. Dads that work on the
steel industry would work for 12 hours didn’t have too much time and money to
enjoy with his family. “Most industrial workers still worked a 10-hour day (12
hours in the steel industry), yet earned less than the minimum deemed necessary
for a decent life”. But unlike the unskilled worker the skilled laborer lived a
good and decent life (Outline of U.S. History.) Education was the tool use by
the labor movement to make the unskilled laborer into skill laborers. “Many
early-twentieth-century labor and reform activists testified to the importance
of the Knights in their early education.” “As a self-conscious microcosm of the
society it was trying to build, the order ultimately extended its educational
claims to the entire family.” Many Knights encouraged there members to take
their education seriously. The Knights arrive to correct the financial
condition by using the knowledge of education (Levine).
Child laborers made up a
high percentage of work forces some industries. Children had lower wages than
men did but they both did the same hours and they would also work around dangerous
equipment. Children were view has cheap labor because they work the same hours
a men and got pay less than them. “The number of children in the work force
doubled between 1870 and 1900” (Outline of U.S. History). A chill that works in
the mill would work for eleven hours a day setting on a high stool with
dangerous machinery around him. They would work, “All day long, winter and
summer, spring and fall, for three dollars a week.” Many of them could barely
read or write because they work long hours in industries.” Every day little
children came into Union Headquarters, some with their hands off, some with the
thumb missing, some with their fingers off at the knuckle. They were stooped
things, round shouldered and skinny.”
In the march of the mill children carried banners that said, “We want
more schools and less hospital.” (The Autobiography of Mother Jones) The labor
movement came with the goal to abolish this harmful act that was committed to
the working family children’s (Powderly 318). Not every child suffers this
calamity they had happiness but they were the minorities. The labor movement
wanted to change that and make it that all of the children are happy children
and they use story of working children like the Mr. Coal’s Story to transmitted
what is happening and make a law to abolish it. (EHistory) And it all ends with
the fair labor standards act of 1938 (The Knights of Labor).
Laborers movement made a
positive impact to them by establishing an eight hour schedule; educate them,
and abolishing child labor. The long 12 to 14 hours of work for each single day
let too little leisure. The long working hours didn’t let the working families
to self-develop and to enjoy their wages with their families. The labor
movement fought to shorten the hours of labor by a general refusal to work for
more than eight hours. “Labor organizers believed that people who worked 12-
and 14-hour days could not possibly develop their full potential as human
beings — they could not educate themselves or appreciate the “finer things,”
and they would be too tired and hard-worked to be moral people and good citizens.
The achievement of this goal came slowly with a 10 hour schedule until 1930s
when the federal government became actively and Fair Labor Standards Act of
1938 which limited the work day to 8 hours.
Works
Cited
"EHistory at OSU | Multimedia Histories."
EHistory at OSU | Multimedia Histories. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Feb. 2013.
Levine,
Susan. Labor's True Woman: Domesticity
and Equal Rights in the Knights of Labor. Organization of American
Historians. Print.
Outline of U.S. History. "The Rise of Labor
Unions." The Rise of Labor Unions. U.S. Department
of State, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.
Powderly
V. Terence. Thirty Years of Labor.
Philadelphia: 1890. Print.
People’s Party Platform.
Omaha: Morning World Horald, 1892. Print.
The Autobiography of Mother Jones.
Chicago: Charles H. Kerr, 1990. Print.
"The Knights of Labor." The Knights of
Labor. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.
