The Great Railroad Strike

Definition

The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 was a significant nationwide labor uprising in the United States that began in response to wage cuts and poor working conditions for railroad workers. It marked the first major strike in American history and highlighted the growing tensions between labor and management, setting the stage for future labor movements and the evolution of union relationships and negotiations.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Great Railroad Strike started on July 14, 1877, in Martinsburg, West Virginia, after workers protested against wage cuts implemented by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
2. The strike quickly spread across multiple states, involving thousands of workers and disrupting rail traffic nationwide, showcasing the power of collective action among laborers.
3. State militias were called in to suppress the strikes, leading to violent confrontations between strikers and armed forces, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries.
4. The Great Railroad Strike led to increased public awareness of labor issues and helped pave the way for the formation of more organized labor movements and unions in the following decades.
5. Despite its failure to achieve immediate demands, the strike had lasting effects on labor relations, prompting both employers and workers to reconsider negotiation strategies in future conflicts.

Review Questions

• How did the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 illustrate the relationship between labor and management at that time?
  • The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 highlighted the significant tensions between labor and management due to issues like wage cuts and unsafe working conditions. Workers felt they had no choice but to strike as their grievances were ignored, showing a lack of effective communication and negotiation between both parties. This event underscored the need for structured relationships through unions that could represent workers' interests more effectively.
• Analyze the impact of government intervention during the Great Railroad Strike on future labor relations in America.
  • Government intervention during the Great Railroad Strike involved deploying state militias to break up protests, which set a precedent for how authorities would respond to labor unrest in the future. This heavy-handed approach often escalated conflicts instead of resolving them, leading to public outcry and a growing sympathy for workers' rights. Consequently, this backlash prompted both sides—labor unions and management—to reconsider their strategies for negotiation and conflict resolution.
• Evaluate how the Great Railroad Strike contributed to changes in union organizing and collective bargaining practices in subsequent decades.
  • The Great Railroad Strike played a pivotal role in shaping modern union organizing and collective bargaining by demonstrating the potential power of collective action among workers. The strike's aftermath prompted workers to form more structured unions that could effectively negotiate with employers for better conditions. As labor movements gained traction in response to such uprisings, collective bargaining practices evolved, establishing frameworks for dialogue between unions and management that would become essential in future labor disputes.

Related terms

Labor Union: An organized group of workers who come together to negotiate with employers for better working conditions, wages, and benefits.

Collective Bargaining: The process of negotiation between representatives of labor unions and employers to establish agreements on working conditions, wages, and other employment terms.

Strikebreaker: A person employed to work during a strike or to replace striking workers, often creating further conflict between labor and management.