Fall Of Labor Handout

The Fall of the House of Labor Chapter 3: The Operative

David Montgomery

The book is devoted to the experience of the lesser known of the American workers, the struggles of textile and garment workers before 1900 and of the railroad, mining and electrical workers after that time. (pg 3) Who was the operative? The operative was a specialist, bound to repetition of the same task and same place. Because it was easily defined and measured, it was compensated more often by the piece. Nevertheless, the line distinguishing craft worker from operatives was anything but precise and constantly shifted within particular industries Garment Industry Strikes (pg 121) • Only 27% of strikes 1881-1905 in women clothing were recorded as “failed”. • Only 9% in men’s clothing • Compared with 70% “failed” in cotton textile mill strikes • 30% failed in building workers • Garment workers recorded the highest percentage of strikes of any industry on record Textile Workers Strikes (pg 154) • Harsh working conditions had a big effect on workers • Textile workers lost 66% of struggles, only railroad workers were defeated more • Only 24 % strikes were called by unions • From 1881-1905 65.8% were about wages compared to 56% in other industries • Good years – strikes for wage increases, bad years- strikes to stop wage decreases • Workers Lost 66% of the time • Only 24% of strikes called by unions Black Women in the South (pg 138) • more than 50% of Black Women worked for wage o Less than 3% had industrial jobs o Major employers:  Laundering 16%,  Domestic 31 %  Agriculture 39% • Only 20% of White women worked for a age Discussion Questions: 1. Why do you think garment workers were more successful in strikes then other workers? 2. Why was “the operative” important for labor? 3. Why did the AFL survive while the Knights of Labor failed?