Strikes+(1-7)

=Strikes= Jeff Bressler

The Pullman Strike
The Pullman Strike began on May 11, 1894. After negotiations over declining wages failed, there was a walkout by employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company. They then appealed for support of the ARU (American Railway Union). On the 20th of June, the ARU gave notice that they would not run trains that included Pullman cars. This boycott troubled railroad traffic across the country. That is, until the federal government got involved in early july. They forbidded all boycotting activities and brought in soldiers for extra help in getting the trains running. The president of ARU, Eugene Victor Debs, was arrested for failing to obey the new regulations. The boycott and union was stopped by mid-july. Although they did not win completely, they helped to raise awareness about the need for unions and increased government regulations for large corporations.

Homestead Steel Strike
The Homestead Steel Strike started on July 6, 1892. Workers of the Carnegie Steel Company announced the strike after five months of wage negotiations. Shortly thereafter, Henry Frick (GM of Carnegie Steel Company) closed the plant so that the workers were locked out. He also hired 300 pinkerton detectives to guard and protect the plant, and to break the workers' union. The armed union gathered, along with family members and friends, who were also armed, to fight off the detectives. The result was devestating. 10 total people were killed (7 locals and 3 pinkerton), and many died later from their battle wounds. Nonetheless, the union gained control of the battleground. This resulted in a weakening of unionism in the steel industry as 8,000 members of the state (PA) militia to get things under control. Most of the union members were blacklisted from employment. For others, pay decreased, work hours were increased, and the union was crushed. These strikes were two of the most important of the 1890's. They helped the government set up industrial policies for years. This was part of the need for progressive reform in the second industrial revolution. Since US industry was growing so fast, workers started asking why they were not getting some of the reward. They demanded better pay and safer conditions, along with other benefits, because they recognized that their company was now able to do this. This is when the government had to step in and turn down workers strong desires for a better work place. Most workers lost rights to bargain for wages and make decisions in the work place.

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