Obtaining Court Injunctions Against Strikes

o Obtaining court injunctions against strikes

Specific Events:

* The Haymarket Riot in Chicago. The McCormick Harvester Factory's workers walked off the job and then scabs were called in so a fight broke out and a worker died from being shot by the officers. A protest was held the following day in Haymarket Square that was turned lethal because someone threw a bomb at the oncoming police who told them to disperse

* The Pullman Strike was a national railroad strike caused by the company of the railroad lowering wages tremendously as well as firing 1/3 of the workforce and refusing to lower rent. The government imposed in the struggle because it shut down a big portion of the nation's freight and passenger traffic.

Labor unions

* Knights of Labor- for all laborers (except liquor dealers, lawyers, gamblers, bankers, etc)

* equal pay for genders, eight hour workdays, and unionization for all of the workers.

* Successful strike against Jay Goulds Missouri Pacific railroad, membership expanded

* Knights of Labor were blamed, they lost support, for the Haymarket Square Protest

* Overall, only partially successful

* American Federation of Labor (started by Samuel Gompers)

* workers were mostly skilled craftsman and they focused on shorter hours, higher wages, and safe working conditions

* led a strike against Carnegie Steel's Homestead facility

* strike was ended by troops

* not successful

* American Railway Workers Union

* led the strike against Pullman Company President Cleveland sent in troops, after the governor refused to call for a militia, to "protect US mail"

* strike leaders were thrown in jail