What did labor unions give workers the ability to do?
An effective bargaining tool for better wages, shorter hours, and safer working conditions.
How were European unions different from American unions regarding their views on revolution
European unions based their philosophy on the idea of Karl Marx and viewed strikes as the beginning of a revolution.
What were the primary goals of most American labor unions?
They did not want to create a revolution but wanted better wages and working conditions.
What was the name of the first national American labor union?
The first national American labor union was the Knights of Labor.
Who was the leader of the American Federation of Labor (AFL)?
The leader of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was Samuel Gompers.
How did most industrialists and businessmen view the new unions'?
Most industrialists and businessman hated the new union. The forbade their workers to join unions and fired workers who tried to organize them.
Name one of the large national strikes of the 1890's that turned violent?
The strikes were the Homestead and Pullman Strikes.
What did the National Labor Relations Act of 1933 guarantee?
It guaranteed unions the right to organize.
The AFL gave its members a large degree of local control. What activities did the local trade unions control?
Local unions were allowed to form their own rules and negotiate their own contracts.
How did the American government initially view the labor unions? How did its opinion change
The American government viewed unions with suspicion. They tended to to side with the factory owners.
The lack of government regulation resulted in horrible working conditions, which changed the opinion/views of the government.