QUESTION
why did the union movement attract only 12% of labor force by 1900
By 1900, the “union” or “labor” movement was still picking up speed. Up until the turn of the century, prominent labor groups like Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor were deemed radical and were looked down upon by the general population. This perceived radicalism was so rampant and widespread that the American public had no problem accepting the sensational claim that the Knights of Labor had been responsible for a bomb set off in the Haymarket Square Riot. Until 1909, much of the “anti-trust” measures passed in the Sherman Anti-Trust Act were in fact being used to target and attack labor unions, not the monopolistic firms that employed them.The combination of radical reputations and a lack of legal ammunition made labor unions a weak force until the 1900s, allowing them to attract only a very limited segment of the population In 1900, the public was
ginning to understand that workers could join together and bargain collectively instead of individually. The strikers lost about half of their disputes, but they won or compromised the other half. Around 1900, however, things started to change, and the unions started having a little more power. Up to 1900, they had spurred on over 23,000 strikes. This placed many politicians in the position of looking elsewhere for money. Therefore, they turned to where the money was-the big corporations. Consequently, many people were just started to think about joining a union, but many had not yet
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