U.S. Labor Unions Trivia

1. This term was coined for the rich industrialists who dominated American politics in The Gilded Age.

From Quiz American Labor History

Answer: Robber Barons

The Gang of Four were a group of Mao Zedong's advisors, the Big Four (not five) were industrial tycoons in the Gilded Age, and the monopolists was just made up.

From Quiz Look for the Labor Union

Answer: National Education Association

The NEA represents over 2.5 million education employees, mostly public school teachers. The Service Employees (SEIU) is second, representing 1.8 million public employees, healthcare workers and janitors. The Teamsters have about 1.4 million members and the Auto Workers under 1 million.

From Quiz Labor History

Answer: Lawrence Massachusetts

The strike began when workers convinced the State Legislature to reduce the working week from 56 hours to 54 hours but the law didn't provided for a compensatory raise. When the first paychecks were issued the workers noticed the difference and immediately struck. One account of the strike indicates that parents sent their children to live in other areas just so they could be fed and housed during the strike. Women wore signs saying "We want Bread and Roses too!" Source: http://www.worldsocialist-cwi.org/index2.html?/eng/2002/07/12history.html

From Quiz American Labor History

Answer: Samuel Gompers

William Jennings Bryan was a 3-time populist presidential candidate, "Boss" Tweed was in charge of the Tammany Hall political machine, and Thomas Nast was a political cartoonist who is widely credited for Boss Tweed's downfall.

From Quiz Look for the Labor Union

Answer: Industrial Workers of the World

The IWW was strongest in the early twentieth century. They were one of the first unions to push for equal rights for immigrants, women and African-Americans. Their membership included miners and lumberjacks and colorful characters such as Joe Hill and Big Bill Haywood.

From Quiz Labor History

Answer: the eight hour day

In 1884, the American Federation of Trades and Organized Labor called for workers to convince their employers for an eight hour day. After two years, on May 1st, those workers not yet on the eight hour system were to strike. There were over twelve hundred demonstrations across the country. Most were Peaceful.

From Quiz American Labor History

Answer: George Pullman

Of course, Pullman was even more famous for the railroad cars named after him, but that would be too easy.

From Quiz Labor History

Answer: No one is really sure

No one is really sure. Chicago was under martial law at the time and police were ordered to disband any kind of gathering. On May 3rd police went to break up a band of five thousand workers when someone yelled "He has a gun!". Police opened fire on the crowd killing several workers. The next night, workers gathered in defiance and refused to move when told to. As the police moved in, someone unknown to this day, threw a bomb killing one officer. Other officers opened fire but a thick fog prevented them from taking clear aim and several more police officers were at least injured. Theories abound about the bomber from a social anarchist to a union buster to a Pinkerton Agent.

From Quiz American Labor History

Answer: J.P. Morgan

J.P. Morgan & Company, now partnered with Chase Financial, helped found America's largest steel company.

From Quiz Look for the Labor Union

Answer: Cesar Chavez

In the 1960s, Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta founded the United Farm Workers. A. Phillip Randolph was president of the Sleeping Car Porters, one of the first unions which had a predominantly African-American membership, Walter Reuther was president of the Auto Workers and Sidney Hillman was president of the Clothing Workers' Union.

From Quiz US Labor Unions (Circa 1882)

Answer: Success & Wealth

It was one of the foundations of the "Rags to riches stories" that we occasionally read.

From Quiz Labor History

Answer: 8

Albert Parsons and seven others associated with radical organizations were prosecuted in a show trial. None were linked to the unknown bomb thrower, and some were not even present at the time. They were held to be responsible for the bomb thrower's act because their public criticism of corporate America, the political structure, and the use of police power against the working people, was alleged to have inspired the bomber.

From Quiz American Labor History

Answer: John Rockefeller

Rockefeller's Standard Oil was a notorious trust, at the height of its power power from about 1880-1910. The US government was slow to make effective use of anti-trust legislation and the anti-trust laws of individual states weren't well suited to dealing with nationwide trusts.

From Quiz Look for the Labor Union

Answer: Congress of Industrial Organizations

In 1935, a group of unions that wanted to organize American's major industries broke off from the AFL and formed the CIO. The CIO oversaw the unionization of the auto, steel and textile industries. It was more aggressive than the AFL and more political. Where the AFL had generally remained politically neutral, the CIO encouraged its members to become active in politics and worked to elect union-friendly candidates to office. In 1955, the CIO merged back into the AFL, forming the AFL-CIO.

From Quiz US Labor Unions (Circa 1882)

Answer: National Labor Union

It collapsed when he died, about 4 years after it was founded.

From Quiz American Labor History

Answer: Andrew Carnegie

Carnegie, the famous steel mogul who donated millions to charity, started with a 10 dollar stock dividend.

From Quiz US Labor Unions (Circa 1882)

Answer: Knights of Labor

That's who we can thank for the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. They also wanted equal pay for women, and an end to child/convict labor.

From Quiz Labor History

Answer: The Pullman Strike

President Grover Cleveland ordered federal troops to intervene. His action aroused sympathy across the country and many more strikes were called to show solidarity with the workers at the Pullman Yards. In an effort to win back votes he signed a bill making Labor day a national holiday. Source: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/september96/labor_day_9-2.html

From Quiz Look for the Labor Union

Answer: 1953

In 1953, 32.5% of the workforce were union members. The number has been declining steadily since that time. By 2002, only 13.2% of the workforce were union members. The decline can be attributed to many factors, including the decline of the industrial manufacturing sector, the passage of anti-union legislation, the failure of unions to aggressively organize and the use of increasingly savvy anti-union tactics by employers.

From Quiz US Labor Unions (Circa 1882)

Answer: Mother Jones

The other people mentioned were people mentioned in Beatles songs. The real Mother Jones, however, recruited at least 1,000 members, some of whom were women.

From Quiz American Labor History

Answer: Industrial Workers of the World

William Haywood's radical Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) demanded a socialist government. It was among the most radical American unions.

From Quiz Look for the Labor Union

Answer: Garbage workers

King came in support of the 1968 garbage workers strike. King was a supporter of rights for workers, but unions were divided on the civil rights movement. While some unions took up the cause of civil rights, notably the United Auto Workers and United Farm Workers, many stayed neutral and some opposed the movement.

From Quiz US Labor Unions (Circa 1882)

Answer: Wildcat strike

These strikes brought the downfall of the Knights of Labor.

From Quiz Labor History

Answer: pay raises and they wanted employers to recognize the Union

Key issues were raises--they had had no pay increase for four years, despite many promises--and a demand for union recognition. To show his contempt, one employer had thrown into the wastebasket a union letter stating its position. The strike lasted at least five weeks and its leader Thomas Kidd was arrested for conspiracy to create a work stoppage. If found guilty he would have had to pay the company all money lost during the strike. Clarence Darrow, in a landmark case, defended him and won.

From Quiz American Labor History

Answer: Eugene Debs

Although Haywood was a socialist, he never ran for president.

From Quiz Look for the Labor Union

Answer: Because it refused to purge Communists from its leadership

Led by the legendary Harry Bridges, the Longshore Workers (ILWU) aggressively represented the workers on the docks of the west coast. The Taft-Hartley Act, passed in 1947, required union leaders to declare they were not members of the Communist Party. Several unions, including the ILWU and the United Electrical Workers, refused to do so on principal. In 1949, the CIO expelled 11 such unions. The ILWU eventually was allowed to rejoin the AFL-CIO.

From Quiz US Labor Unions (Circa 1882)

Answer: American Federation of Labor

The "Knights of Liberty" were never a real labor union; I just made it up! The American Federation of Labor also crusaded for safety laws in the workplace, and employer liability.

From Quiz Labor History

Answer: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Tragedy at Bay View, as it is called today, was the last event of the Great May Labor Strike. It happened on May 5th, 1886 when National Guardsmen fired on the crowd killing seven. Orders were to fire only if the strikers tried to enter the Bay View Rolling Mills, but was altered as it reached the Commanding Officer who got the message to fire. Labor Leaders were arrested and there was no real investigation into the Guards actions.

From Quiz American Labor History

Answer: The Haymarket Affair

The Pullman strike, although it caused many deaths, was led by B & O employees.

From Quiz Look for the Labor Union

Answer: Because it was controlled by organized crime

The AFL-CIO alleged that Jimmy Hoffa's Teamsters Union was fostering criminals. From the 1950s to the 1980s, the Teamsters engaged in a prolonged battle with the federal government over allegations of corruption and ties to organized crime, and several of the union's presidents went to prison. Hoffa disappeared in 1975, and his whereabouts are still unknown. In 1998, Hoffa's son, Jimmy Hoffa, Jr., was elected president of the Teamsters.

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