"The best of wages will not compensate for excessively long working hours which undermine heath."
-Louis Brandeis
Life Before Unions
The beginning of unions has roots in the industrial revolution. Before, most workers worked for themselves. With the industrialization of manufacture, the majority of workers worked for others, and were therefore dependent on their employer. With this dependence came exploitation. Many employers paid very little to factory workers, or disregarded their safety. A single worker could very rarely change this. Only many workers in cooperation could change their pay or working conditions. However, time and time again, this was ruled an illegal conspiracy. This actually had its basis in British common law, which was still used as precedent in early America. It was not until Commonwealth vs. Hunt in 1842 when this was overturned.
Pay was often $2-3 for a 14-16 hour workday, with women and children paid even less.
Pay was often $2-3 for a 14-16 hour workday, with women and children paid even less.
Children were employed as young as 8 years old.
Factories were unlit and contained dangerous, exposed machinery.