The Pullman Strike of 1894
A strike against a business owner, George Pull, who exploited his workers during the Depression of 1983.
The Pullman Strike of 1894 was a large strike by workers against a train car maker named George Pullman. Pullman had built a small, comfortable town outside Chicago for his workers that had all the necessities for living. It apparently worked out nicely, up until the Panic of 1893. The Panic of 1893 was an economic crash that occurred when U.S. currency could no longer be successfully redeemed for gold.
George Pullman laid off workers and cut the salary of the remaining workers by 25%. The problem was, he kept rent and food prices the same and the workers could no longer afford to live. A strike ensued and Pullman subsequently shut down the factory in refusal to come to terms with strikers.
The American Railway Union began a boycott of Pullman’s train cars across America. Strikes popped up all over the nation. Eventually, more than 100,000 workers had joined the strike against Pullman. Strikes began to lose control, and the western railroad traffic was totally jammed. Delivery of mail was disrupted.
Finally, the Richard Olney, the Attorney General, stepped in and shut down all railroad traffic. President Grover Cleveland sent troops to keep strikers under control. The Pullman Strike was over in no time. The positive outcome of this strike was that factory owners learned to get court orders against unions, and it helped ensure that a strike of this caliber will not happen again.
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Post CommentEdRoberts
On February 3, 2008 at 4:03 pm
You write: “The positive outcome of this strike was that factory owners learned to get court orders against unions, and it helped ensure that a strike of this caliber will not happen again.”
Rather a one-sided conclusion, don’t you think?
I will remind you that at one time workers worked 6 days a week, 14 hours a day for less than a living wage, often, their 7 year old children were also employed; a worker could devote 30 years of his life to an employer and if he became sick, hurt on the job of just not as efficient as he was when younger – he would be summarily fired – literally put out on the street, wife and children included. Turned from workers to beggars. Et-cetera.
Never forget, that working men have taken bloody beatings on the streets of this country, so that selfish upper-class rich people who inherited their money and never worked a day in their lives, could no longer treat working people, their wives and children as a private slave class.
yoyo
On September 21, 2008 at 11:53 pm
yea whatev
mikemocapaldisthesickestsk8rever
On October 5, 2010 at 7:50 pm
i wish i lived i that time in sounds like fun. id love 2 start waorking at age six for some gay guy whould would probibly molest me when my parents dropped me off.