During the period of 1875 to 1900 many efforts for improvements in labor were attempted. Although organized labor was an attempt to improve conditions of laborers and workers, it did not do much to help. .
Document A shows how average hours declined between 1875 and 1891, but not by much. Most workers wanted an 8 hour work day, but did not get that because the hours only shortened from 9.9 to 9.4. Also, wages only improved a small amount. Labor unions were beginning to emerge in this period. Samuel Gompers organized the American Federation of Labor to try to achieve better wages and hours, and improved conditions for workers. .
Often times workers would strike the show their unhappiness and displeasure with their working conditions. Documents B and G show accounts of worker's strikes. An editorial in The New York Times, document B, says that the strike is hopeless and unnecessary, but also says that the strikers are bold and determined. Document G is referring to the Homestead Strike in 1892. It is a list of people who were killed in the strike. This shows how these strikes were often broken up and ended by military enforcement. Samuel Gompers, the founder of the AF of L, states in Document I that workers should be allowed to strike as one of the rights as laborers. Usually strikes did not achieve anything for the workers. .
Sometimes workers were not even needed. With the invention and improvements of machinery, many workers were replaced if they did not agree with their bosses. The machinist says that 100 men can do what it took 300-400 men to do 15 years ago. This shows how easily the workers could be replaced. .
Machines required less skilled workers to operate them; immigrants were often .
brought in to work. The immigrants worked for less money. .
Document E is a telegraph of an employee contract. The contract states that the worker can not join an organization or society to regulate the conditions of services, or a labor union.
