Divided We Fall
If you are one to read the Limb Leader or the Postal Record, then you are probably aware of the NALCs’ “Hell No “or “Fight like Hell” Platform and Rallies. Although I am extremely proud of my new rally family and happy that it seems to be growing, I have noticed some mixed reactions to the labor rallies that the NALC and APWU have hosted.
I feel some people equate the participation in Labor rallies to alignment with a political ideology and/or a betrayal of their own beliefs. I find that sentiment confusing because clearly, the ability to care for your family with a decent wage, health benefits and bankable leave, to be something that all laborers hold dear. The idea that anyone that works hard for a living would hold allegiance to ANY elected official over the welfare of the loved ones in their care is confusing considering the dark labor history of the United States of America. When you think of dark, violent labor history, I would understand if you thought of an Eastern Bloc Country or perhaps China. But no, the USA are the champions of the most beautiful as well as the ugliest Labor history.
The early labor movement in the United States started in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, primarily in response to the harsh working conditions that laborers faced during the Industrial Revolution. As factories proliferated, workers were subjected to long hours, low wages, and unsafe working environments. This exploitation led to the formation of various labor organizations aimed at advocating for better conditions and workeras’ rights.
Labor history has plenty of bad actors, but few enemies of the working class have done as much damage as the Pinkertons. The Pinkerton National Detective Agency was founded as a private police force in Chicago in 1850, but quickly became the hit men of the labor movement, known for their work as vicious strikebreakers. The Pinkertons left their bloody mark on strikes, protests, and labor rallies, and gained a ruthless reputation for protecting the interests of big businesses by any means necessary. You do not have to do a lot of searching online before you discover reports of assaults and even murders of those who may have become early labor leaders in this country. However, the Labor Movement became undeniable. And why not? What is more American than to raise your voice against oppression and tyranny?
One of the first significant labor organizations was the National Trades’ Union, founded in 1834. This organization sought to unite different trades to negotiate better wages and working conditions. However, the movement faced significant challenges, including legal opposition and a lack of public support. The prevailing economic philosophy emphasized minimal government intervention in business, which often meant that workers had little recourse in their strugglesagainst their employers. Sound familiar?
Despite the literal bumps and bruises, the labor movement continued to grow, and by the late 19th century, organizations such as the American Federation of Labor (AFL) emerged. Founded in 1886, the AFL focused on skilled workers and fought to improve these Laborers quality of life and working conditions through collective bargaining. The AFL played a vital role in advocating for labor rights and laid the foundation for future labor movements such as ours.
Throughout the 19th century, numerous strikes and labor actions took place, including the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago, which highlighted the growing tensions between laborers and law enforcement. This early Labor rally was one of the first examples of a peaceful rally that ended in police intervention and violence. Labor rallies have been a significant part of the history of workers’ rights. These rallies have played a crucial role in advocating for better working conditions, fair pay, and benefits for workers.
Labor rallies are an effective way of raising awareness about workers’ rights and issues. They bring together workers from different industries and backgrounds to highlight the challenges they face in their workplaces. By marching through the streets and chanting slogans, labor rallies draw attention to the issues affecting workers and the need for change. Labor rallies provide a platform for workers to come together and build solidarity. Workers from different industries and unions can join forces to advocate for better working conditions, fair pay, and benefits. By standing together, workers can create a strong voice that demands change. Labor rallies can put pressure on employers to improve working conditions and pay. When workers come together and demand change, employers may be more likely to listen and take action.
Labor rallies can also have a political impact by influencing policymakers to enact laws that protect workers’ rights. When workers come together and demand change, politicians may be more likely to listen and take action to pass pro-labor legislation. By coming together and demanding change, workers can create a strong voice that demands fair treatment and better working conditions. There is not enough room in the Limb to give the reader a comprehensive lesson on American Labor History; however, I will point the reader in the right direction. I highly recommend that every NALC Member read Carriers in a Common Cause. Carriers in a Common Cause is the NALC’s official history. It tells the story of the struggle of letter carriers starting at the birth of the Postal Service in 1775 to today. The whole book, in PDF format, is available on the NALC’s website and you can order a copy from the NALC Store.
Just one of the many chapters in Union history was the Homestead Steel Strike (1892). Homestead Steel, owned by Carnegie Steel, was the scene of a brutal battle between the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers and the company’s chief executive, Henry Clay Frick, who wanted to break the union’s power. In June 1892, Frick announced pay cuts for Homestead steelworkers and refused to negotiate with the union, instead locking workers out of the plant. Frick sent Pinkerton detectives on barges up the river in order to protect strikebreaking replacement workers he planned to hire. The Pinkertons engaged in a bloody gunfight with the strikers. Eventually, the Pennsylvania State Militia was sent in to suppress the strike, and the union was crushed.
Another significant chapter is the Pullman Strike (1894). In 1893, the Pullman Rail Road Car company laid off three-quarters of his employees, cut wages for many of the ones brought back by nearly 30 percent, and refused to reduce rents or store prices in the company town operated south of Chicago. The following year, the American Railway Union, announced a nationwide boycott of all trains carrying Pullman cars. The ARU managed to shut down rail travel in 27 states, an area stretching from Chicago to the West Coast. President Grover Cleveland’s convinced a federal judge to issue an injunction against the strikers, and sent 10,000 federal troops in to suppress the strike.
The Great Steel Strike (1919) began when a consortium of unions that included the American Federation of Labor and the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers decided to challenge U.S. Steel. U.S. Steel was the nation’s biggest employer at that time and refused to recognize unions. The union consortium called for a nationwide strike in September 1919, with 350,000 workers walking off the job in mills in six states. While the strike temporarily paralyzed steel production, it eventually was crushed. Police and company-hired thugs beat up picketers. Tens of thousands of Black workers, who usually were not allowed to join unions because of racial prejudice, were brought in as strikebreakers. In January 1920, the AFL finally surrendered the defeat that was a setback for the labor movement.
These are just three examples of the many protests, strikes and rallies in America’s history wherein Laborers raised their voices to protest poor working conditions, salaries, or unfair inhumane legislation. The only two sides to this issue: what is right and just for the American Blue-Collar Worker and their Families and the side of the profiteers, the CEOs and the Shareholders that would make their bread with the bone and blood of the American Blue-Collar Worker.
