(The following story by Matthew Bieniek appeared on the Journal-News website on September 4.)
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — It was just more than 120 years ago that Martinsburg found itself at the center, indeed, the flashpoint, of the greatest labor struggle (to that point) in American history.
Nothing like the great railroad strike of 1887 had occurred before, and it all started here. Union organization, especially in large industries, was in its infancy. There was no collective bargaining, no right to strike, no right to have a union.
On July 16, workers for the B&O Railroad had reached their limit — wages were being cut again as the railroad industry struggled with hard times. For example, a breakman’s wage was $70 a month in 1873. By 1887, it was cut to $30 a month, according to “The Great Labor Uprising of 1877” by Philip Foner.
The strike spread rapidly throughout the country. Some sources say the first strike action was in Baltimore, but Martinsburg quickly became the focal point of the strike. Workers uncoupled trains and blocked the rails, stopping 13 locomotives and 1,500 freight cars. Public support for the strike was strong, and state militia troops ordered in by Gov. Henry M. Mathews were largely sympathetic to the strikers. No wonder, since many of the militia had relatives among the strikers.
Word of the radical action at Martinsburg spread to workers all along the rails, and the great strike was on as workers elsewhere followed the lead and stopped the trains.
Despite the sympathy of some militia members, conflict broke out, and shots were fired, with one striker killed. It was the last time the militia would fire on the workers, and from that point on, the militia members largely allied themselves with the strikers.
As the strike spread throughout the country, President Rutherford B. Hayes called in federal troops. The troops moved into cities and between major cities, suppressing the strike and forcing workers back to their jobs. Martinsburg was one of the first towns to feel the brunt of federal forces, and the strike here was quickly ended.
In many towns and cities, many workers and some troops, were killed and wounded. Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Chicago were some of the scenes of the worst violence.
The nationwide strike ended in late August, and workers had little to show for it, except a stronger concept of their own power and solidarity with other railroad workers throughout the country.
It’s important to remember the struggles of the past. Without them, many of the things we take for granted wouldn’t exit. The majority of us are the children or grandchildren of those who worked in factories, steel mills, coal mines or other fields that benefited from union struggles for good wages. On Labor Day, we should remember our forebears, no matter how we view today’s union movement, or how we view management , for that matter.
The conflict between labor and management seems endless, although some countries with different cultural traditions have tried to increase cooperation between workers and management and even integrate the functions of employers and employees. Some foreign corporations operating in the United States are bringing some of these cooperative practices to U.S. factories.
Whether or not these efforts can succeed and change the nature of labor and management relations remain to be seen. It’s interesting to note however, that the explosive growth of the United States into a world economic power came at a time of often intense conflicts between labor and management, which gradually led to higher wages and better working conditions. Higher wages and expendable income, obtained through a struggle between labor and management in the free market, helped grow American corporations and gave American workers the best standard of living in the world.
While the above paragraph may be simplistic, it is also true.
And one of the earliest examples of that struggle on a large scale was driven by events that started at the railyard just down the street.