Labor-Management Relations

Early labor unions had a difficult time achieving their goals of higher pay, shorter hours, and improved working conditions. Factory owners were strongly against the formation of unions.  They pressured the government to pass laws which restricted union activities. Federal troops were sometimes used to forcefully end strikes. The courts usually sided with the factory owners and ordered striking employees back to work. Workers at a factory who tried to start a union were regarded as troublemakers and were often dismissed from their jobs.

Most early unions, including the Knights of Labor, failed to make significant gains and eventually disappeared. But the American Federation of Labor attracted large numbers of workers and made important progress toward its goals.

As unions grew in strength, labor (the worker) and management (the factory owners) used different tactics against each other. Some of the terms in the following list refer to measures taken by labor to put pressure on management. Others represent tactics used by management to limit the power and success of the unions. Two terms in the list refer to methods used to settle differences between the two sides. Fill in the spaces below with the appropriate answers.