Overview of the Pullman Strike

Background

• Location & Date: Chicago, 1894
• Context: Part of ongoing labor unrest, especially in the railroad industry.
  • Similar events include the first major railroad strike in 1877 and the Haymarket Riot.
• Environment: Increasing tensions between employers and workers, commonly referred to as labor versus capital.

Pullman Palace Car Company

• Products: Made sleeper train cars used for long-distance travel.
• Location: Pullman, Illinois, a company town.
  • Company owned houses and stores; workers rented homes and bought goods from the company.
  • High rents meant workers’ wages circulated back to the company.

Causes of the Strike

• Economic Depression: Significant depression in 1863.
  • Resulted in mass layoffs and a 25% wage cut for remaining workers.
  • Company did not reduce rents despite lower wages, creating a financial burden on workers.
• Worker Demands: Higher pay, better living conditions, and shorter workdays. These were rejected by Pullman.

Outbreak of the Strike

• Start Date: May 11, 1894
• Support: Backed by the American Railroad Union (ARU) under Eugene Debs.
  • Nationwide union support led to a refusal to handle trains with Pullman cars, effectively halting railroad operations.
• National Impact: By June, the strike had severely disrupted travel and goods transportation across the U.S.

Response

• Companies' Strategy: Used "scabs" and attempted to attach mail cars to Pullman cars to bring federal intervention.
• Legal Action: Secured an injunction claiming the strike interfered with U.S. mail delivery, thus illegal.
• Federal Intervention: President Cleveland deployed federal troops to Chicago to break the strike.

Violence and Conclusion

• Violence: Began on July 6, 1894, with destruction of Pullman cars and clashes between strikers, police, and troops.
• End of Strike: Federal troops and police regained control, arresting Debs and other leaders.
  • Resulted in decreased public support.
  • Manufacturing resumed in August with a condition against union membership.
• Legacy: Unions were illegal until the late 1930s when workers' rights to organize were federally recognized.

Discussion Points

• Analyze how media coverage influenced public opinion on the Pullman Strike.

Further Reading

• Explore primary sources for deeper insights into the strike's dynamics and media portrayal.