Labor Unions

Labor Unions were constructed in the late 1800's because of the unfairness of the workforce. Factory workers were forced to work long hours a day six days a week, and an occasional Sunday. They would have to work for ridiculous hours for wages that could barley pay for three loaves of bread. Workers eventually went on strike because factory owners were cutting their wages. This was the start of the labor unions and factory workers sticking up for what they truly deserved after working so hard almost everyday of the week.


Another reason why labor unions were formed during the late 1800's was the working conditions in the factories and the well-being of the people who worked in them. Working in factories back then was always very dangerous. People frequently would get hurt by bones getting broken or limbs being severed while working with machines. This caused more labor unions to be formed because there was a general concern of whether or not the factories were safe enough for people even to be working in. Strikes erupted and factory owners threatened to punish the strikers even more when they returned to work. This eventually changed and the owners did not give further punishments to the workers that went on strike.




*Sources- In class discussions and "The Strike for Three Loaves" reading