Question

In 10-30 sentences, List and explain powerful factors that converged to disempower organized labor during the 1920's.

Answer 1

Labor Strike

- Mutt & Jeff, On Strike, 1920. Rankled by the luxurious lifestyle of their animator, Mutt and Jeff demand lower hours and a percentage of his profits, and, when loudly refused, they announce their intention to strike and "animate ourselves." When their first production flops, they scuttle back to their animator, assuring him they'll work for nothing if taken back. Appearing from 1907 to 1982, Mutt and Jeff was one of longest-running comic strips in the U.S., and by 1916 animated Mutt and Jeff shorts were favorite theater offerings. On Strike was released soon after the 1919 Actors Equity Association strike that shut down theater productions in major cities until producers agreed to recognize the union and most of its contractual demands.

Police Brutality and Violence

Fear of a communist uprising and pressure to maintain production contributed to a significant increase in troop involvement in labor disputes. In 1922, President Warren Harding appealed to 28 states to provide policing at mines. Police and paramilitary troops quickly became regular figures at labor demonstrations and work sites. Troop involvement incited violence -- often leading to the death of unarmed demonstrators. In 1927, six unarmed strikers, including one child, were killed at Rocky Mountain Fuel in Colorado. In 1929, six strikers were killed and 24 others were injured, without warning, as they stood outside Marion Manufacturing Co. in North Carolina.

Decreased Union Membership

Union membership decreased in the 1920s from 5 million to just 3 million. The sharpest decline in membership came between 1920 and 1923. As membership numbers declined, so did activity. When the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed picketing and overturned minimum wage and child labor laws that members had fought for, morale plummeted. Many shops voted to go non-union, leading to an overall decline in union strength.

Economic Hardship

After WWI came to a close, unionists banded together to demand wages that were representative of the postwar inflation economy. Unfortunately, as the battle between labor and industry ignited, economic hardships hit the working class. The "Roaring Twenties" brought high unemployment and hardships for workers that weren't yet protected by the unemployment benefits that would come decades later. The Great Depression further crippled unions and workers as wages were decreased.