Unions - Isaac

In the 1830’s craft workers began to form trade unions. By 1873 there were 32 national trade unions in the United States, for all the different businesses like glass making and coal mines.  Unions came into play because people believe the work place should be safe and that workers should have a voice, so the union protects them at work and keeps the work places safe and workable.

These unions weren’t always effective and they never got the respect that they thought they deserved.  Most of the time, when the employees went on strike, these revolts would only end in bloodshed.  An example of this is the Great Railroad Strike, which happened because of the troubling recession in 1873.  The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad declared that it would continue cutting wages for its employees, and they became fed up with it.  A strike formed with 80,000 workers who went out of control and vandalized the railroad company’s property.  The government had to send out militias to end the dispute, and when it ended, there was $10 million in damage inflicted on the railroads and 100 casualties from a fight that never should have happened.