opened the floodgates to a plethora of union victories such as; the ten hour working day and the prohibition of child labor. Unions by being in the forefront of child labor laws have to this day protected the rights of children not only in this country, but around the world.In the years following the Civil War our nation changed form being an economy dominated by farms to urban industries. The nation transformed, seemingly overnight, 4from a rural to an urban economy. Cites began to emerge and industries such as coal, steel, engines and fast communications spread throughout the country. Although jobs were plentiful the standard of living of workers did not rise and they had to settle for living in crowded, unhealthy slums. The plight of the workers became even more desperate at the time of the great depression that ultimately led to the great railway strike, in which many workers lost their lives at the hand of the Pennsylvania militia. This act proved to be a major turning point in the evolution of the labor movement in the United States.It has been said that the union work is one struggle after another, but union work also is the most rewarding legacy we can leave our children.U.S. Labor HistoryEssay #1Unionism can be described as “a continuous association of wage-earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment”(Smelser). This means that a group of workers can unite to gain more power and leverage in bargaining. The bargaining may include many aspects but usually consists of wages, benefits, terms and conditions of employment. The notion of union came about in the 1700’s. In the beginning as it is today workers united to “defend the autonomy and dignity of the craftsman against the growing power of the company” (Montgomery). These early unions had many names including societies, social societies and guilds. These primitive unions or guilds of carpenters, cordwain...
