Introduction In the book, The Voice of Southern Labor, authors Vincent J. Roscigno and William F. Danaher, address and examine the southern textile-worker mobilization that occurred in the late 1920s through the mid 1930s. The Voice of Southern Labor chronicles the lives and experiences of southern textile-workers as well as provides insight on workers grievances and solidarity that were often portrayed through music. “It was on Labor Day in 1934 that I witnessed the closest thing that this country has had to a revolution. The General Textile Strike was one of the largest strikes in American history; it was the culmination of homegrown organizing and protest. For man southern workers it was the first time they had raised their voices as citizens …show more content…
Mill hands decided to take it upon themselves to address their grievances just as unions had nearly given up on southern organizing. One major social issue discussed throughout the book was the dispute over low wages and long work hours. Most adult mill workers were working twelve-hour days Sunday through Friday and five-hour days on Saturdays. The workers were receiving low pay, usually between twenty and twenty-five cents an hour without any breaks. The jobs of mill workers usually mandated workers to stand for the entire shift and if they had to eat, they did it while working. These long hours and low wages were not the only social issues most mill workers …show more content…
The heat and noise that was encountered, combined with scarce nutrition took a toll on many mill workers. There were problems with cotton dust in the rooms, while workers were unaware of the consequence of breathing this dust, it lead to the beginnings of brown lung disease. These conditions affected mill workers both physically and psychologically, but they had to keep working. Another major social issue seen throughout the South was the introduction of the “stretch-out”. Mill owners responded to the National Industrial Recovery Act signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, by intensifying scientific management techniques. This was a system where mill workers were forced to work increasing numbers of machines. A worker recalls the stretch-out process stating, “And they give you about twice as much as you can do, you know. Like this other man give you forty looms, why, he’ll say, I’ll give you forty-four” (Roscigno & William, 2004). The stretch-out caused mill workers to write to Roosevelt, informing him of what was happening in hopes that he would act on the people’s behalf. These social issues derive from the paternalistic practices that occur throughout mill towns. Mill workers feel that the companies own and control their lives, which is where these social issues and grievances
From 1875-1900, America was beginning to rise up from the increase in industrialization. However, dubbed “the gilded age” by Mark Twain, the thriving promise of a better , wealthier life in America was not as it seemed. When labor unions rose to change the harsh working conditions placed on workers, it seemed to be that they found little to no success. This was brought on by the little change that they made, the suffering and hardships they brought on themselves and others, and the little support they received from those around them. Although labor unions were able to change some conditions, most of those changes were minimal.
In the article, “The Craftsmen’s Spectacle: Labour Day Parades in Canada, the Early Years,” by Craig Heron and Steve Penfold, the main topic was about the changes during the first and second industrial revolution in regards to the structure of the Labor Day celebrations and what that meant toward the workers’ movement itself. Throughout the article, Heron and Penfold discuss the importance of the parade procession on the national holiday and what certain symbols, banners, uniforms, and events meant toward the workers’ movement and what they strove to prove to the public. The creation of Labor Day was to be a celebratory holiday for workers’ movements throughout North America, to publically show solidarity together over the importance of wage-earners
In Michael K. Honey 's book Southern Labor and Black Civil Rights: Organizing Memphis Workers, Honey analyzes the various labor movements that occurred throughout Memphis, Tennessee in the 1930 's, 40 's, and 50 's. Throughout his book, we are introduced to key players such as "Boss" Ed Crump, the bias police, the AFL, George Bass, Thomas Watkins, and other organizers, and possibly the most important to the labor movement, the CIO (Congress of Industrial Organizers). Memphis acts as the backdrop of the war between labor rights and traditional, Southern labor standards. Memphis, like the majority of the South, was ruled by an elitist few, that fed off of the Jim Crow lifestyle. Memphis was led by "Boss" Ed Crump. Crump maintained control by
The economic elements of 1861-1865 were very different for the North and the South. The North was doing very well, compared to the South. In the North they had to lay-off many workers and close down the textile industries because of the scarcity of cotton. However, the “arms, metalworking, boot making, and shipbuilding industries” were booming in the North (Keene, 391). The wages of the workers rose by about 40 percent, but the prices of goods rose at the same pace as the inflation rate averaged about 15 percent annually (Keene, 391).
Sam Patch worked hard to get the title he once had, being a factory hand in the 1820’s helped him become America's first daredevil. He started from rock bottom as a delivery boy and ended up becoming a celebrity. In the Industrialization factory time Sam Patch helped shape America by freedom and equality rights during the Early Republic period (1800-1837). Industrialization was common for transforming agricultural society into manufacturing goods. “ Thus Americans, said the promoters, they could enjoy domestic manufactures without damaging agriculture”.
The working class had no choice but to labor long hours for low wages in conditions that were unregulated and hazardous. Child labor was also very common, so were accidents and death. The United States of Labor site quoted The Factory Inspector, an unofficial journal of the International Association of Factory Inspectors that frequently published accounts collected by state labor bureaus of industrial accidents, that shows how bad these conditions
The workers had bad conditions in the factories. According to document 1 workers in factories had to work from 5AM to 9PM with a 40 minute lunch break and some of them started at young ages. Some entire families had to work to buy food which meant kids also had to work. Kids had less than 8 hours break which meant they didn’t get enough sleep even if they fell asleep right as they get home from work. Even worse, they spent the 16 hours every day in dangerous conditions.
The Reconstruction era has ended and Americans are seeking a way to reach the American dream. With the gold rush leading the way, a significant amount of Americans wanted to reach the top, and many of them started large monopolies. The Gilded Age is an era that can be described as America’s greatest era, but the reality is dark. Corporations were taking advantage of the nation’s increasing economy, and the most affected were the people. The industrialist was able to amass tremendous wealth by exploiting the people, justifying their actions with social Darwinism and the government’s protection, which promotes social class divisions.
*Pullman Strike * The Pullman Strike was widespread by the United States railroad workers, approximately a quarter-million worker were on strike at the peak and it impacted the expedition the railroad system across the states. The strike between the American Railway Union and George Pullman changed the course of future strikes when President Grover Cleveland ordered federal troops to break up the strikers; its influenced how the federal government and the court system would handle labor issues. The labor issues during the Pullman Strike were not limited that of rights of the workers, the role of management in the workers private life, and the roles of government resolving labor conflicts. Pullman planned communities for his workers how he determined
The appeal to reason is one that Liebelson uses liberally by commenting on the workers’ sexual abuse, meager pay, and dangerous work conditions. The author talks about a 16-year-old that “was badly injured by a machine belt that snapped and hit her eye”, workers being subjected to “between 8 and 13 hours daily, plus overnight shifts”, and much more (Liebelson 49). By writing about these conditions extensively, Liebelson appeals to the reasonable reader who understands them. At no point does she outright denounce the mills or their connected companies, but she does give the necessary context for the reader to formulate their own opinions against them. Liebelson is more focused on the impact the factories had on the workers than the factories themselves and because of this, she makes it a secondary point to make an argument against the mills.
The Haymarket affair is one most important events in Chicago’s labor protest is questionably still unknown to many of high school kids and down. At this mark in Chicago history several horrifying, and great events happened. Industrial workers were getting fed up with the intense hours and wanted change from their shady bosses. People associated with all the industrial works started to arrange private meeting to talk about what’s wrong within the industries. Soon several of the bosses found out about these meeting and paid the police to eliminate these meetings.
In a time when America was coming out of the bloodiest war that was ever fought, against themselves, The Civil War, and when America looked overseas for a new frontier with Imperialism. It is in this context that America started to grow westward with farm land and in industry with the million of workers, but America still felt growing pains. Two significant ways in which farmers and industrial workers responded to industrialization in the Gilded Age (1865-1900) were the formation of organizations to protect farmers, and the creation of labor unions and the use of strikes to protect the workers. One significant way in which farmers responded to industrialization in the Gilded Age (1865 - 1900) was the formation of organizations to protect farmers. During Westward Expansion farmers fell victims to the low pricing of the crops.
The document of “The Railway Army of 1894”, focuses on management of industries. Subordination allows managers to observe how well employees follow instruction. It is comparable to the saying “when I say jump, you say how high”. If the employees pursue this method, they would be the strongest industry. In fact, Marshall M. Kirkman writes “labor, to exist at all, must act in harmony with those who give it employment, and in due subordination to the interest of society as a whole” (Johnson, 43), meaning, employees and employers must work respectfully amongst each other, in order to create a harmonious environment.
Profits for the farmers were getting smaller and smaller due to the increase in prices for the goods to be sold. These farmers believed in many different things- they believed in rules and regulations for the road (which included the fact that the government should control the railroad), lower tariffs, and that money should be based off of silver standard. For the industrial workers, their working conditions were not ideal. Each worker did not get paid nearly enough to support them and their families, even though they worked ten plus hour days, six days a week. Workers were not paid for sick days or injury.
“Attempting to liberate the oppressed without their reflective participation in the act of liberation is to treat them as objects that must be saved from a burning building.” – Paulo Freire. Quotes by Paulo Freire, From Pedagogy of the Oppressed (2015) Retrieved from http://www.freire.org/paulo-freire/quotes-by-paulo-freire Before the 1909 strike where more than 20,000 garment shirtwaist makers in New York City walked out to picket for better wages and improved working conditions, there was the mill girls’ who worked in the textile mills industry centered in Lowell, Massachusetts. In 1834, faced with increased competition in the textile mill business and declining profits to their mills, mill owners decided to pass on their misfortune by imposing