Pullman Strike Anniversary-Causes, Effects, Significance, Outcome

The Pullman strike was one of the most significant strikes in the history of the United States. It paved for the declaration of Labor Day as a national holiday. However, the Pullman strike also helped shape the American Labor policy and laid bare that a strike of this magnitude could quickly spiral out of control and lead to violence.

Pullman Strike-Causes

The American economy was in a deep depression. The cost of living skyrocketed, and the labor class was reduced to the level of starvation. In this bleak scenario, the Pullman Palace Car Company, which made Railroad cars, had retrenched more than 2000 workers. The company also started a 25% deduction of the wages of the workers who worked in abysmal conditions, often 16 hours a day.

The workers were settled in the town of Pullman. The company had effected pay cuts but did not adhere to the relief measures, including slashing house rents and providing subsidized food. The Pullman workers voted to go on a strike that started on May 11. However, the company management did not budge.

Later the ARU, or the American Railway Union led by Eugene V. Debs, joined the strike. Thousands of workers deserted the workshops and refused to work with Pullman Carriages. Railroad transport ground to a halt, and economic losses mounted. The Railroad companies started hiring nonunion members, but it did not work.

Pullman Strike-Effects

The swelling of the size of striking workers led to the leader losing control of the agitation. Sporadic incidents of violence started, and it gave the Government an excuse to use force to suppress the agitation. Deaths from firing by the security forces mounted, and the agitation started losing steam. It also lost popular support. The workers soon caved in to the pressure, and slowly things began returning to normal. Most workers were re-hired except those facing criminal charges. The workers were forced to sign an undertaking to never indulge in union activities later.

Pullman Strike-Significance

Pullman strike was significant because of the sheer size of the striking workers-250,000 railroad workers on some 20 railroads. The movement had substantial public support but slowly, it dried up because of the ensuing violence. The event also helped establish Labor Day as a national public holiday in the U.S.