In the late 19th century, the American economy experienced the great depression. This caused many renowned businessmen and owners of capital to suffer extensively. As a result, they started cutting the wages of their workers and treating them very harshly as a way of recovering from the depression. This forced the workers to start movements and begin the labor struggles in America. The Pullman strike is an example of the drastic measures workers took to curb the predicament.
Pullman was a great businessman and was the kingpin in building sleeping cars for the railroad industry. As a result of his vast wealth, Pullman also developed a working community. He built a town in Chicago, Illinois, and gave it his name, where he supported all the residents of the town, who formed his workforce. After his company (the Pullman Palace Company) experienced the depression in the early 1890s, it experienced a massive decline. The effects of the depression were, however, felt more by the workers than by him. However, this led him to drastically cut the labor force, and many employees lost their jobs. Few employees were lucky to stay, but underwent wage cuts and very hard labor without any extra compensation from Pullman company. The rent charged for the houses by Pullman was not cut even after cutting their wages. Pullman cut the debt owed by his employee from their salary without their request. He even went to a point of terminating the committee of the worker’s representatives. These were inhuman practices that Pullman exercised, but the employees were still grateful to Pullman for building the town. As a result of the accumulation of harsh treatment and poor working conditions, employees started walking off the job, and this led to the company eventually shutting down.
This history gives the onset of the labour movements which set up to agitate for the rights of employees. Pullman employees organized a strike that shocked the United States, especially the media who believed that Pullman was a great employer who served in the best interest of his employees. After the great depression of 1893, Pullman responded by cutting his employees from 5500 to 3000 and cutting the wages of the employees who remained. He further subjected them to harsh working conditions and offered poor services. They had to pay heavily for the accommodation provided by his company.
Most of the workers belonged to the America Railroad Union (ARU), a labour organization founded by Debs in Chicago that focused on the poor working condition of employees. Deb crafted a way not to agitate for the rights of the employees and did not want to organize a massive strike that could bring troops to intervene. However, after the employees took his ideas and went to striking, they went rogue and resulting in burning down the town. The situation caught the attention of President Cleveland who agreed to send troops to stop the rioting workers who had stopped the movement of mails. The troop managed to suppress the riots and killed many Pullman employees.
However, the strike made significant progress, Pullman’s real character was displayed, and he lost his regard as a successful employer. The strike had a significant effect not only in Chicago where employees were oppressed but also in other regions, in the United States. Workers realised that the only way through which they could speak out against poor working conditions was through strikes and demonstrations. As a result, many strikes followed and led to the establishment of strong labour movements, which collectively bargained about the working conditions of workers in industries. Gradually, employers responded to the pleas of workers and resulting in increasing their wages and reducing the working hours, and also improving the working condition of the employees. Labour movement still plays a vital role in America today. Although it applies less radical measures, it helps significantly in agitating for the right of workers in poor working conditions.