Why Are Labor Unions Unsuccessful In The Late 19th Century

172 Words1 Pages
1) Labors unions were unsuccessful in the late 19th century because most people did not belong to a union. Some business owners used this competition to undermine unions. They pressured workers to sign "yellow-dog contracts," which were written pledges not to join a union and owners would not hire workers who did not sign a pledge. They also shared lists of union members, refusing to hire any worker whose name was on these blacklists. Yellow-dog contracts and blacklists discouraged workers from joining unions. Also, the unions failed because legislatures did not pass laws that helped the workers solve their problems. The first major piece of legislation that hurt the labor unions was the Sherman Antitrust Act, which didn’t allow any "restraint