The Changing Workplace
Storyboard Text
- In-Home Production
- Changes in the Workplace
- Working Conditions
- In the early nineteenth century, before clothing was produced in factories, it was a domestic job for women to sew and spin their families' clothes. Manufacturers offered materials for this to be possible. However, power looms replaced this industry and allowed cost-efficient production to happen in one place. It decreased time and price to get these products going. This kickstarted a change in industry.
- Strike Efforts
- The industrial revolution was fueled by this speedy spread of factories. Many young women left their farms to work for these looms, or Lowell mills to earn better wages for their families. They were preferred over men because they could have been paid less for the same salary. Although they were under very strict rule, a lot of women saw this as the best alternative and stepping stone to greater things. They also enjoyed the company of each other. Until..
- Seeking Better
- The working conditions in the mills were almost intolerable. Since there was no ventilation allowed for the betterment of the threads, factories were consistently hot, dark, humid, and hard to breathe in. By the 1830s, they declined even more cutting down break times and the wage by 15%. They also tripled the tasks but only doubled the amount of new workers. Work got incredibly more demanding and laborious.
- Achieving Better
- Because these conditions were terrible, about 800 girls chose to strike in 1834 to return their salary to normal or the company would lose them. However, Lowell mills deemed them replaceable. So eventually the strikers (except their leaders) returned to work. Two years later there was a wage cut of over 10% so about 1600 workers struck again. Although they failed, it empowered the women.
- Since the general working conditions (not just in the Lowell mills) continued to decline. Artisans and the lesser skilled workers allied together to strike. There were many organized strikes for different reasons. Plus, others seeking better were European immigrants wanting to take advantage of the many work opportunities. Just in nine years alone, there was an influx of 3 million immigrants.
- Unions were established of people in specific trades, like printing, comb making, weaving, etc. This was to seek a standardization of wages and conditions in each field. The National Trades' Union was the largest league formed because it consisted of six industries. They had their fair share of opposition. Amazingly enough, the Supreme Court defended the workers' cause for striking in the Commonwealth v. Hunt case.
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