Labor Unions

Two major labor unions grew during the Gilded Age.

The first, the Knights of Labor, took all workers. They favored strikes and boycotting to achieve their goals. It was once a secret organization, but under Presley, the Knights of Labor grew enormously. However, during a strike, several members were killed by police. Later, in a protest at Haymarket Square (against police for murder) the Knights of Labor were joined by several sympathetic anarchists. When police arrived to sort out the trouble, one of the anarchists threw a bomb, killing three policemen and wounding several others. This riot at Haymarket Square destroyed the Knights of Labor as people associated them with killing and bombing.

The second major labor union was the American Federation of Labor, or AFL. This group was small, since they only accepted skilled workers, and no blacks or women. These skilled workers were organized according to craft, forming smaller unions within the larger AFL. The American Federation of Labor favored peaceful bargaining over strikes and boycotts.

Often, when workers went on strike, the employers simply hired different people, ones that didn't belong to a labor union, called strikebreakers. Fights would frequently break out between strikers and strikebreakers.