The Primary Factor that Contributed to Labor Movements’ Weakness from 1877-1900

The Primary Factor that Contributed to Labor Movements’ Weakness from 1877-1900
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The Primary Factor that Contributed to Labor Movements’ Weakness from 1877 - 1900
Labor organizations and workers started challenging capitalists’ control of the country’s political and economic aspects from the Great Upheaval of 1877 to the early 20th century, 1900. During this period, labor unions were highly defeated in their effort to incite employees to strike, and large firms maintained control of their economies. The most crucial factor that contributed to the labor movement’s weakness between 1877 and 1900 was the government’s role in supporting employers during protests, strikes, and other labor conflicts. Indeed, it happened via the military intervention of employers’ side and using harsh legal penalties and anti-labor judicial injunctions against labor organizations and union activists.
When labor unions tried to fight for an increase in workers’ wages and prevent wage cuts, the government used militaries to neutralize the strikes. On 16th July 1877, in Martinsburg, West Virginia, employees from Ohio and Baltimore had gathered to resist a 10% reduction of their wages, which was the second one within eight months (Brecher, n.d.). Strikers announced that they would not allow any train to leave Martinsburg if the pay cut was not rescinded. The mayor’s effort to talk with the angry crowd bore no fruits, and he was booed until he left. However, the following day at 9:00 a.m., the military appeared, and strikers who tried to prevent the train from passing, such as William Vandergriff, were shot and fatally injured (Brecher, n.d.). As such, the government did not support labor unions to address issues affecting workers.
Using harsh legal penalties and anti-labor judicial injunctions against labor organizations and union activists significantly weakened labor movements from 1877 to 1900. Railroad Gazette reported that strikers were charged harshly for violent and criminal acts (Gutman, 1961). In other words, they were punished for fighting for their rights. During the East Tennessee and Georgia railroad strikes, firefighters and engineers refused to run the trains since they supported striking employees. Additionally, the Catholic Church supported strikers to fight for their rights, but the government tried in all ways to suppress such protests instead of addressing problems that led to these upheavals.
Capitalists promoted economic growth and monopoly that made them hungry for political power. Since they accumulated more wealth due to poor workers’ compensation, they were able to control government agencies and create policies to favor their selfish interests. Capitalists controlled the judicial system and led to the implementation of harsh penalties and anti-labor judicial injunctions. That w...