Civil Rights in the USA : Revision Notes
Revision Notes broken up into themes and sub-themes for ease.
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Topic: The Position of African Americans in 1865 (The Reconstruction Period)
What was the position of African Americans in 1865?
Subtopic: The Position of African Americ...
Civil rights in the USA trade union and labour rights comparison table
Civil rights in the USA african americans thematic table
Civil rights in the USA native americans thematic table
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Civil Rights in the USA Thematic Study
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Civil Rights in the USA (1865-1992):
Trade Unions
The Position of Trade Unions (TU) and Labour
Issues around the position of union and labour rights
o right for unions to exist
o recognition of unions
o involvement of unions in negotiations over pay and working conditions
o establishment of systems for mediation
o freedom of workers to withdraw their labour without fear of punishment
progress not continuous
o period where improvements were non-existent or limited
employers & government reluctant to support unionisation
o periods of improvement usually accompanied by economic change
Factors of progress
o economic change
o growth of capitalism
o amount of immigration
Start of period (1865)
o rights of workers and unions completely dependent on what workers could
negotiate w/ employers
o no requirements for employers to recognise or negotiate with unions
o workers had no representation/protection from employers – exploitation
End of period (1992)
o workers won the right to join a union
o some employers able to create workplaces where unions were forbidden
workers forced accept due to periods of low wages, low employment &
economic decline
o Unions secured right to collective bargain
limited in practice
w/out union representation workers in a weak position to improve rights
did not want to risk confrontation w/ employers for fear of losing jobs
o Unions secured the right for workers to withdraw their labour and strike
limited in practice
no-strike clauses – prevented industrial action
Position of workers improved since start of period but the gains were not always maintained
Page 1 of 23
Civil Rights in the USA – Trade Unions
,The Extent of Labour and Union Rights by the First World War
The position of unions improved in the period leading to the outbreak of WW1 in 1914
o reflected in the growth of union membership
o gains limited to white male workers
o no guarantee these gains were permanent
the unions that did exist in 1865 only represented skilled workers in craft industries e.g.
shoemakers
USA undergoing rapid industrialisation
o many of the new, unskilled workers were excluded from unions and had no
representation
employers hired unskilled workers under contracts rather than permanent employment
o workers could be laid off when there was less need for work
workers were working long hours in factories w/ limited safety precautions
o large number of accidents
o employers often not introduce health and safety standards
o reduce profits due to greater supervision
o workers who suffered industrial injuries received little or no support from employers
o courts considered industrial injury was a risk the employee had to take
Unions in the Late 19th Century
increasing industrialisation did result in development of a number of unions
Knights of Labor (KOL)
o reached membership of 700,000 by 1886
o 20,000 members in 1881
o suggesting strike action was crucial in growth
o Violence of Haymarket Affair tarnished reputation and membership collapsed to
100,000 by 1890
American Federation of Labor (AFL)
Industrial Workers of the World (or Wobblies) established in 1905
o union less effective
o its militancy and violence meant it as disliked by employers
o attracted 100,000 members by 1923
o declined after
Not just the violence of the Haymarket Affair that affected membership
o obvious divisions w/in workforce
Arrival of AA workers in labour market after abolition of Slavery at end of Civil war
o white workers no longer enjoyed a monopoly of the labour market
o former slaves now available for employment in the growing industries and most
accepted lower rates of pay
o employers exploited this by laying of white workers and replacing them w/ AA
Page 2 of 23
Civil Rights in the USA – Trade Unions
, Their position was worsened by the arrival of immigrants from Europe and Asia
o added to the pool of workers
Existing unions saw these arrivals as a significant challenge and refused them to join
o limited the size of unions and their ability to exert pressure on employers
o a divided workforce made it easier for employers to exploit them
progress weakened further by other strikes: Homestead (1892) & Pullman (1894)
The Homestead Strike of 1892
o virtually bankrupted the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers
o decline in union membership from 24,000 in 1891 to 6300 in 1909
The Pullman Strike of 1894
o developed from employer’s refusal to recognise the right of working to use
collective bargaining to protect their living and working conditions
o showed the difficulties unions faced in trying to gain recognition
By the outbreak of WW1 little had been achieved in advancing union and workers’ rights
lack of progress balanced against
o union membership across the US grown to over 2 million
o unions had begun to put pressure on candidates in elections to support workers’
rights
more factors that suggest the position of organised labour was no stronger than in 1865
o unions only represented 20% of non-agricultural workforce
o many industries (e.g. steel & car manufacturing) did not have unions
o often negotiations between employers and unions but many of the unions not
legally recognised and lacked real power over decisions
o workers divided by ethnicity, gender and level of skill – exploited by employers
o gains that had been made often limited to white, male skilled workers
The First World War 1914-18
position of workers and unions improved
increase in demand for products (e.g. textiles for uniforms, steel for weapons)
o more opportunity to increase profits
o more willing to be conciliatory towards their workers
to ensure production maintained the gov recognised and negotiated through the National
War Labor Board (NWLB)
o the length of working hours limited to 8
o workers agreed to no-strike policy
The Boom of the 1920s
the economic boom that followed the war resulted in a rise in real wages and decline in
unemployment
appeared workers made further gains as employers offered
o reduction in working hours
o pensions
o insurance
Page 3 of 23
Civil Rights in the USA – Trade Unions
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