The Effect of Labor Unions in the History of the United States

During the Industrial Revolution in the United States, labor unions started to form. Their purpose was to protect the rights of workers, advocating for better wages and conditions. Before unions, workers had no one who represented them against the big industrial companies. Long hours, low wages, and horrific factory conditions were some of the most common concerns to unions. The lightbulb, an invention by Thomas Edison, was a significant factor in the rapid industrial growth. It allowed a factory to continue running even when it was dark out. This led to even longer working hours. These conditions, and the support of unions, are what sparked labor strikes across the US. The Haymarket Affair, Homestead Strike and Pullman Strike were all labor strikes that resulted in violence among the two sides and little change for the workers themselves.

The Haymarket Affair, held on May 4th 1886, was caused by a protest the previous day that turned violent. On May 3rd, a group of demonstrators had gathered outside of the McCormick Reaper plan in Chicago, Illinois. They were supporting the labor strike of the workers. What ultimately sparked uproar among demonstrators was the hiring of nonunions workers by the plant. The company did so in an attempt to keep the plant running while the union workers were on strike. One person was killed by police officers, which caused demonstrators to gather on May 4th to protest police brutality. A total of eleven people were killed when an unknown individual set of a bomb. As a result, eight protest leaders were unfairly tried and jailed. Ultimately, the Haymarket Affair brought no positive change for workers. These facts only support the idea that violence is never a solution. In response to actions by factory owners, the union organized peaceful protests. However, the actions of the government and police force were not peaceful. They brutally killed an innocent person and even unfairly convicted protest leaders. Had the government taken more responsible actions, the outcome of the Haymarket Affair might have been different. The Fort Worth Daily Gazette published that,

“The police retorted instantly with a volley from their revolvers.”

Although a bomb was set off during the protest, those not responsible for the action should not have been convicted on an unfair trial.

In 1892, the Homestead Strike was the bloodiest in a series of strikes organized by industrial workers. Similarly to the…