The Pullman Strike
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Americans witnessed many strikes. Their causes varied. Sometimes economic grievances--low pay, and, especially, long hours--led to strikes. Sometimes the conflicts were more subtle, as managers tried to increase their control over the work process. Usually, the basic issue was the right of workers to have unions and to engage in collective bargaining. Typically, strikes ended when the government applied its power against the unions. One strike in particular, the Pullman strike of 1894, was especially important in American perceptions of "the labor problem" of the time. The Pullman strike brought Eugene Debs national attention, and it led directly to his conversion to socialism. The events of the strike led other Americans to begin a quest for achieving more harmonious relations between capital and labor while protecting the public interest. The company's manufacturing plants were in a company-owned town on the outskirts of Chicago. Pullman publicized his company town as a model community filled with contented, well-paid workers.
The Pullman workers, however disagreed, especially after the onset of the economic depression that begin in 1893. During that depression, Pullman sought to preserve profits by lowering labor costs. When the firm slashed its work force from 5,500 to 3,300 and cut wages by an average of 25 percent, the Pullman workers struck. The American Railway Union (ARU), led by Eugene Debs, was trying to organize rail workers all across the country. The Pullman workers joined the ARU, and Debs became the leader of the Pullman strike. The ARU enjoyed wide influence among the workers who operated trains. To bring pressure on Pullman, the union asked trainmen to refuse to run trains on which Pullman sleeping cars were attached. The union told the railroads that their trains could operate without the Pullman cars, but the railroads insisted that they had contracts with the Pullman Company requiring them to haul the sleeping cars. The result was an impasse, with railroad workers in and around Chicago refusing to operate passenger trains. The conflict was deep and bitter, and it seriously disrupted American railroad service.
The strike ended with the intervention of the United States Army. The passenger trains also hauled mail cars, and although the workers promised to operate mail trains so long as Pullman cars were not attached, the railroads refused. Pullman and the carriers informed federal officials that violence was occurring and that the mail was not going through. Attorney General Richard Olney, who disliked unions, heard their claims of violence (but not the assurances of local authorities that there was no uncontrolled violence) and arranged to send federal troops to insure the delivery of the mail and to suppress the strike. The union leader, Debs, was jailed for not obeying an injunction that a judge had issued against the strikers.
The Pullman workers, however disagreed, especially after the onset of the economic depression that begin in 1893. During that depression, Pullman sought to preserve profits by lowering labor costs. When the firm slashed its work force from 5,500 to 3,300 and cut wages by an average of 25 percent, the Pullman workers struck. The American Railway Union (ARU), led by Eugene Debs, was trying to organize rail workers all across the country. The Pullman workers joined the ARU, and Debs became the leader of the Pullman strike. The ARU enjoyed wide influence among the workers who operated trains. To bring pressure on Pullman, the union asked trainmen to refuse to run trains on which Pullman sleeping cars were attached. The union told the railroads that their trains could operate without the Pullman cars, but the railroads insisted that they had contracts with the Pullman Company requiring them to haul the sleeping cars. The result was an impasse, with railroad workers in and around Chicago refusing to operate passenger trains. The conflict was deep and bitter, and it seriously disrupted American railroad service.
The strike ended with the intervention of the United States Army. The passenger trains also hauled mail cars, and although the workers promised to operate mail trains so long as Pullman cars were not attached, the railroads refused. Pullman and the carriers informed federal officials that violence was occurring and that the mail was not going through. Attorney General Richard Olney, who disliked unions, heard their claims of violence (but not the assurances of local authorities that there was no uncontrolled violence) and arranged to send federal troops to insure the delivery of the mail and to suppress the strike. The union leader, Debs, was jailed for not obeying an injunction that a judge had issued against the strikers.
Events That Led To The Pullman Strike
1) June 20, 1893: Workers founded the American Railway Union to unite railway labor in a single organization. Eugene Debs was the leader.
2) Sept. 1893-May 1894: The Pullman Works reduced wages, on the average by 25 percent, while not lowering rents in company houses.
4) March, April 1894: Workers in Pullman’s Palace Car Company joined the American Railroad Union.
5) May 7, 9: A committee of Pullman workers waited on management but received no concessions, either in the form of increased wages or lowered rents.
6) May 10: Three of the committee were laid off, allegedly for lack of work. That evening Pullman workers voted to strike.
7) May 11: Pullman works closed.
8) June 9-26: The American Railway Union convened in Chicago, representing 465 local unions and a claimed membership of 15,000.
9) June 15, 22: The Pullman Company refused to receive any communication from the American Railway Union or to permit five proposed arbitrators to determine whether there was anything to arbitrate.
10) June 21: Delegates of ARU voted to stop handling Pullman cars on June 26th unless the Pullman Company agreed to arbitration.
11) June 22: The Pullman Company met with General Managers’ Association and reached an agreement to resist the proposed boycott.
12) June 26: The boycott and accompanying strikes began and spread rapidly as General Manager’s’ Association members discharged men who refused to switch passenger trains with Pullman cars.
13) July 2: A Federal injunction was issued (served on July 3 and July 4). This injunction enjoined ARU leaders from "compelling or inducing by threats, intimidation, persuasion, force or violence, railway employees to refuse or fail to perform their duties."
President Grover Cleveland
14) July 3: Federal troops entered the dispute.July 5, 6 Governor Altgeld of Illinois protested the use of Federal troops; President Cleveland responded.July 7 Debs and the other principal officers of the ARU were arrested, indicted, and held under $10,000 bail.
15) July 12: An AFL meeting in Chicago refused to authorize sympathetic action. The ARU unsuccessfully offered to abandon the strike, provided that the workers were rehired without prejudice, except where convicted of crime.
16) August 2: Pullman works reopened. Strike ended. Local leaders were not rehired.
17) August 15: Hearings of the US Strike Commission began in Chicago.
2) Sept. 1893-May 1894: The Pullman Works reduced wages, on the average by 25 percent, while not lowering rents in company houses.
4) March, April 1894: Workers in Pullman’s Palace Car Company joined the American Railroad Union.
5) May 7, 9: A committee of Pullman workers waited on management but received no concessions, either in the form of increased wages or lowered rents.
6) May 10: Three of the committee were laid off, allegedly for lack of work. That evening Pullman workers voted to strike.
7) May 11: Pullman works closed.
8) June 9-26: The American Railway Union convened in Chicago, representing 465 local unions and a claimed membership of 15,000.
9) June 15, 22: The Pullman Company refused to receive any communication from the American Railway Union or to permit five proposed arbitrators to determine whether there was anything to arbitrate.
10) June 21: Delegates of ARU voted to stop handling Pullman cars on June 26th unless the Pullman Company agreed to arbitration.
11) June 22: The Pullman Company met with General Managers’ Association and reached an agreement to resist the proposed boycott.
12) June 26: The boycott and accompanying strikes began and spread rapidly as General Manager’s’ Association members discharged men who refused to switch passenger trains with Pullman cars.
13) July 2: A Federal injunction was issued (served on July 3 and July 4). This injunction enjoined ARU leaders from "compelling or inducing by threats, intimidation, persuasion, force or violence, railway employees to refuse or fail to perform their duties."
President Grover Cleveland
14) July 3: Federal troops entered the dispute.July 5, 6 Governor Altgeld of Illinois protested the use of Federal troops; President Cleveland responded.July 7 Debs and the other principal officers of the ARU were arrested, indicted, and held under $10,000 bail.
15) July 12: An AFL meeting in Chicago refused to authorize sympathetic action. The ARU unsuccessfully offered to abandon the strike, provided that the workers were rehired without prejudice, except where convicted of crime.
16) August 2: Pullman works reopened. Strike ended. Local leaders were not rehired.
17) August 15: Hearings of the US Strike Commission began in Chicago.
Reaction To The Strike
Debs and some other labor leaders came to the realization that workers could never have power unless they controlled the government. Debs was especially outspoken. The federal intervention in the strike was just one of a long series of interventions in labor disputes the effect of which was to defeat strikes. If workers used the Socialist Party and democratic elections, the power of their numbers would ensure the election of political leaders sympathetic to their cause.
Civic leaders, ministers, editors, journalists, and some businessmen in Chicago were appalled at the events of the Pullman strike and the class conflict that the strike exhibited. They began a determined quest for another way, for a means of ensuring that the interests of the public were protected in the conflicts between capital and labor. They sought a social system within the framework of capitalism where the conflicting interest of capital and labor were somehow harmonized. They formed the Chicago Civic Federation to bring together representatives of "the public," "capital," and "organized labor." In 1900 their organization became the National Civic Federation, and eventually included labor leaders, business leaders, and political figures. Prior to the 1912 campaign the Civic Federation worked for reforms designed to ease labor management conflict.
Civic leaders, ministers, editors, journalists, and some businessmen in Chicago were appalled at the events of the Pullman strike and the class conflict that the strike exhibited. They began a determined quest for another way, for a means of ensuring that the interests of the public were protected in the conflicts between capital and labor. They sought a social system within the framework of capitalism where the conflicting interest of capital and labor were somehow harmonized. They formed the Chicago Civic Federation to bring together representatives of "the public," "capital," and "organized labor." In 1900 their organization became the National Civic Federation, and eventually included labor leaders, business leaders, and political figures. Prior to the 1912 campaign the Civic Federation worked for reforms designed to ease labor management conflict.