The Industrial worker By Kristina, Sebastian and Peyton
Group Editorial How have workers continued to struggle for better conditions in the 1920s, and are they succeeding? By: Kristina Borgstahl, Peyton Cetta, Sebastian Decker, and Siobhan Stevens. William John walked out of his factory job two years ago because he wanted more money and less working hours. William hoped that by walking out on the job, his employers would want to help him. Unfortunately, instead of helping him they fired him. William’s employers turned their back on him when he needed their help most. Perhaps if William would have walked out with multiple workers, he would have gotten what he wanted instead of getting fired. William represent the struggles that workers have been facing post World War I. Workers have started to organize to fight for better pay and less hours worked. While workers continue to struggle for better conditions, they are increasingly having more success in getting better working conditions. Workers are struggling for better conditions They had struggles with injuries, bad working conditions, and bad wages. They went on strikes to get what they wanted. When workers go on strike they are walking out on the job and starting a protest. Sometimes strikes didn’t work, as they were fired and replaced instantly. Other times it worked, getting raises and less work hours, and somewhat better conditions. They had many machines that easily would put you on the streets because they were so bad. The government helped by making the workplaces safer, by fixing up machines, cleaning up places for less sicknesses, and to make it so it was an easier life working in those places.
Unions are helping workers organize strikes. Unions are a good thing for American workers and they are on the rise. More workers are joining unions in this decade than ever before. Unions are necessary if workers want to continue fighting for their rights. Republican Era Presidents believed in deregulation. This means that the government doesn’t interfere with business practices. This hasn’t been good for workers. This means that the Republican Presidents cannot give workers what they need. It’s left up to the employers. Employers know that if the government is not going to interfere with how they treat their workers then they can treat them however they want. Workers need to continue to fight for their rights if they want to better working conditions for all Americans in this decade. Workers cannot depend on employers or the federal government to help them. Workers need to depend on Unions to help them organize. While working conditions are getting better there is also room for more improvement.
Tina
Economic Tensions They faced many Economic tensions during this era of time. They faced massive unemployment, and demobilization. Cancellation of government contracts made wide ripples in the economy. And there was centralized management of transportation.
Labor Tensions After the war, workers struggled to keep the gains they made during the war. They had to go back to “pre war practices.”Labor over wages and working conditions resumed. They attempted to increase hours to 12 hour days instead of 8 for more work
The meaning of power “Importance of the power age lies in its ability.” “The function of the machine is to liberate man from brutal burdens, To release himself to more human duties, man has trained beasts to carry the burdens for them.”
sebastian
Is the Republican Era of presidents of the 1920s been good or bad of american works? By siobhan
(Part 1)
Demobilization Causes Massive Unemployment
Businesses Return to Prewar Labor Practices
When World War 1 Ended it had created great economic prosperity in the United States. Nonetheless, the government was ill prepared for conversion to a postwar economy. But when the fighting ended sooner than expected, the federal government had zero plans for the act of discharging forces from military service or use, for a transition from wartime on to peacetime.
` After World War 1 ended, workers struggled to keep the gains they had made during the war. As the war had raged, the federal government had encouraged business and labor to cooperate. The National War Labor Board had settled labor disputes on generous terms to keep factories humming. Wages went up as the number of unemployed workers decreased. After the war, however, the government stepped aside, and the struggle between business and labor over wages and working conditions resumed. They reduced wages and paid less attention to employee safety. Some businesses tried to increase the workday to 12 hours, whereas eight hours had been typical during world war 1.
Economic Upheaval Results in Inflation and Recession By the end of 1920, the economy reflected the longer-term effects of demobilization. Immediately after world war 1, Americans had gone to cities and went on a spending spree, buying goods with money they had saved during the war. As prices went up, the value of the dollar shrank by more than 15 percent a year. Americans in 1920 paid twice as much for clothing or for foods in 1913. All but the richest Americans saw their standard of living decrease. The combination of high inflation and rising unemployment led to a sharp recession—a decline in economic activity and prosperity. Between 1920 and 1921, some 100,000 businesses went bankrupt. In those same years, 453,000 farmers lost their land. People got by as best they could, in some cases turning to crime to survive.
Is the Republican Era of presidents of the 1920s been good or bad of american works? By siobhan
(Part 2)
Workers Respond by Organizing and Striking
Unions Lose Public Support and Membership
Working-class Americans reacted to deteriorating working conditions in several ways. Many joined unions for the first time. At this time, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) dominated the union movement. The AFL was a group of unions representing skilled workers, including machinists or mechanics, organized by their craft. It concentrated on improving wages and working conditions for its union members in the USA. In 1919, unions staged more than 3,600 strikes across the country, creating the greatest wave of labor unrest in the nation's history. One out of every 10 workers walked off the job at some point during that year. The most dramatic strike took place in Seattle, Washington. When 35,000 shipyard workers were refused a wage increase, the Seattle Central Labor Council called on all city workers to walk off their jobs. The strike paralyzed the city, Nearly all economic activity came to a sudden halt. Mayor Ole Hanson condemned the walkout as "an attempted revolution" and called in federal troops to take control of the city. As fears of chaos mounted, Seattle's middle-class citizens turned against the workers. After five days, the unions were forced to call off their strike.
As the strikes persisted, middle-class Americans began to view unionism as a threat to their way of living. Strike-related violence added to fear's that radical union activity could lead to anarchy in cities and towns. Public hostility was one reason that overall, made the union membership declined in the 1920s. A second was the failed attempts of many strikes to try to achieve workers' goals. The AFL, for example, limited its membership by refusing to organize unskilled employees. It also excluded women, African Americans, and most immigrants. In response, African Americans organized their own unions. The best known Union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, was a union of black railroad workers led by A. Philip Randolph.
Peyton Cetta
Farmers have faced economic trouble, even before the great depression. Many farmers could no longer sell crops. They couldn’t make mortgage payments to banks that loaned them money. Desperation had caused some farmers to sell their farms. Farmers should be fighting for their homes. Not only do farmers lose their farms by selling it, but some farmers lose their farms to foreclosure, a legal process. Not only do farmers lose their farms to foreclosure, but they also lose their homes to foreclosure. Even after losing their farm to foreclosure, they can’t afford to buy land, even if they sell their farm. Farmers should be fighting for more money. Farmers were used to hard times. Since 1920, the value of farm real estate had dropped by more than 30%. Farmers don’t get enough money even after selling their farms. They have to get their loans from the bank. Workers should be fighting for their jobs back. Over 13 million Americans were out of work. Most unemployed Americans wanted to work. Even women started to get fired. Almost one in every seven businesses failed. For those who didn’t lose their jobs also had a rough time. Workers should also be fighting for better pay and working hours. For those who kept their jobs often found that their hours and pay reduced. Farmers lost their homes and farms. People lost their homes and savings. It wasn’t easy for workers even if they kept their jobs. Women should get involved and start fighting for their jobs back. Most women are unemployed. Almost all women are being fired. They are losing their homes and savings. Not only men lost their jobs. Almost all women are unemployed.
Peyton Cetta