After the Haymarket Riot, labor organizers and socialists in countries around the world began celebrating May 1 as Workers Day—an occasion U.S. government officials had no interest in sanctioning. Meanwhile, other cities had followed New York’s lead in holding Labor Day celebrations in early September. In 1887, Oregon became the first state to make it an official holiday; by 1894, 22 other states had passed similar legislation.Angry Pullman workers walked out in May 1894, and the following month, the American Railway Union (ARU) and its leader, Eugene V. Debs, declared a sympathy boycott of all trains using Pullman cars.

Question

The Pullman strike effectively halted rail traffic and commerce in 27 states stretching from Chicago to the West Coast, driving the General Managers Association (GMA), a group that represented Chicago’s railroad companies, to seek help from the federal government in shutting the strike down.In 1893, George Pullman laid off three-quarters of his employees, cut wages for many of the ones he brought back by nearly 30 percent, and refused to reduce rents or store prices in the company town he operated south of Chicago. The following year, the American Railway Union, headed by Eugene V. Debs, announced a nationwide boycott of all trains carrying Pullman cars, to support the ARU local whose workers were employed by Pullman. The Pullman strike was the first instance in American labor history of a sympathy action, in which workers who aren’t directly involved in a dispute intervene to help fellow laborers.

The ARU managed to shut down rail travel in 27 states, an area stretching from Chicago to the West Coast, according to Indiana State University labor historian Richard Schneirov. But after Pullman’s company joined forces with railroad managers, President Grover Cleveland’s Attorney General Richard Olney convinced a federal judge to issue an injunction against the strikers, and Cleveland himself sent 10,000 federal troops in to suppress the strike. Most of the strikers eventually were rehired, except for union leaders who were blacklisted by Pullman. Debs served six months in prison for violating the injunction and used his time behind bars to read Karl Marx’s Das Kapital. After his release, he became active in the Socialist Party and ran five times for U.S. president. The Pullman Strike (May–July 1894) was a violent confrontation between railroad workers and the Pullman Palace Car Company of Illinois. It tied up rail traffic across the United States before it was halted by federal injunction. In the wake of the Panic of 1893, the Pullman Company cut wages, but it did not lower rents or other charges to employees in the company town of Pullman, now part of Chicago. When representatives of the American Railway Union protested (May 11), they were fired. Eugene V. Debs, the head of the union, then called for (June 26) a boycott of all Pullman cars. On July 2, Att. Gen. Richard Olney obtained a court injunction to halt the strike. Federal troops arrived in Chicago two days later. Rioting broke out, and several strikers were killed, but by July 10 the strike had been broken. Debs and other top union officials were jailed for disobeying the injunction.
Explain why you decided to participate in the strike.
What was life like working for the Pullman Palace Car Company?
How were you treated by your employer?
What were you fighting for?
answer each one seperately using the paragraphs above and only the paragraphs above.

Answer 1

Explain why you decided to participate in the strike.

I decided to participate in the strike because the working conditions at the Pullman Palace Car Company had become unbearable. After George Pullman laid off three-quarters of our workforce and cut wages for many of us by nearly 30 percent, it was clear that the company was prioritizing profits over the lives of its workers. Additionally, despite these wage cuts, rents and prices in the company town remained high and unchanged. The call to join the American Railway Union's boycott of all Pullman cars was a way to stand in solidarity with my fellow workers who were directly affected. This strike represented our collective fight for dignity, fair treatment, and better working conditions.

What was life like working for the Pullman Palace Car Company?

Life working for the Pullman Palace Car Company was difficult and stressful, especially following the layoffs and pay cuts. With the significant reduction in wages and the high costs of living in the company town, we faced financial strain. Though we provided essential services in the railroad industry, our pay did not reflect our contributions. Despite working hard, many of us struggled to make ends meet, and the company's disregard for our plight created a hostile and demoralizing environment.

How were you treated by your employer?

The treatment by our employer, the Pullman Company, was harsh and dismissive. After we expressed our concerns and protested against the unfair wage cuts and high costs in the company town, our representatives were fired. This lack of consideration showed that the company saw us merely as disposable labor rather than as valued employees. The subsequent actions, which included enlisting federal troops to suppress our peaceful strike, highlighted the extreme lengths the company was willing to go to maintain control and protect its profits, disregarding our rights as workers.

What were you fighting for?

We were fighting for fair wages, job security, and better working conditions. The strike was not just about the immediate wage cuts; it was about addressing the broader injustices we faced as workers in the Pullman company town. We sought to eliminate the disparity between our pay and the high costs of living imposed by the company, as well as to advocate for the dignity and respect that every worker deserves. By joining the American Railway Union in their sympathy boycott, we were expressing our unity and determination to demand change not only for ourselves but for fellow laborers fighting similar battles across the nation.