The Haymarket strike was a strike against lower wages. They fought for better pay, reasonable hours and safer working conditions. The physical confrontation between police and industrial activists in Chicago on May 4, 1886 had been a symbol of the multinational dispute over workers' rights. There were four strikers who were killed by the police force. A demonstration in Haymarket Square to protest the murders. Someone whose identity has never been determined threw a bomb into the crowd, killing a policeman. The police, panicked after the bomb explosion, opened fire, shooting at passers-by and even some of their own officers. The police raided the offices of trade union and radical groups and arrested their leaders. Employers took the opportunity of the Haymarket Affair to start the labor movement. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayThe rail strike was about workers protesting against a secular cut that paralyzed rail traffic. Militia units tried to force them to return to work. But the troops had to shoot at people when they didn't and ended up killing about 20 people. Workers responded by burning the city's rail yards, destroying millions of dollars' worth of property. The Knights of Labor formed in Philadelphia in 1869 as a private company of tailors. During the dark years of the 1870s, the organization grew slowly, but towards the end of the decade worker militancy increased, especially after the great railway strike of 1877, and with it the number of Knights members increased. They were the first group to try to bring unskilled and skilled workers, men and women, and even whites and blacks together into one group to work toward a goal. By 1886, the group had approximately 800,000 members and involved millions of workers in boycotts, strikes, political actions, etc. Initially, employees wanted unions primarily for defensive purposes, basically to guard against what they see as arbitrary decisions, such as abrupt pay cuts. , layoffs or layoffs. They also want a way to force management to improve what they deem to be unsafe working conditions or excessively long hours. More importantly, they want more security, which ultimately means a contract that lasts for a specified period of time. Early trade unionists in the United States, as we will see, simply wanted the same kind of workplace rights that they already enjoyed as individuals. And if it grows strong, then they will try to demand higher wages. Ultimately, the march of progress prevailed, and faster and more powerful machinery soon took its place in the field. Founded in 1869, the Knights of Labor union took the movement to a new level, attracting large numbers of members. The Knights' mission was to include everyone involved in production, which helped expand their numbers. Under the leadership of Terence Powderly the union was well organized. Things got worse in 1886, when the Haymarket Riot saw the Knights' message tarnished by the death of a police officer in a bomb explosion. Eventually public opinion turned against the communist movement and the union dissolved. It was only after the advent of the American Federation of Labor, founded in 1886 by Samuel Gompers and functioning as a national union federation for skilled workers. Please note: this is just an example. Get a document now.