Evan Anton Professor Andrea EstepaRough DraftThe Golden Age and the Labor MovementThe Golden Age took place during the last thirty years of the nineteenth century, when the unionization of workers would become more frequent. The reasoning behind the name of this era is due to the fact that in America everything seemed beautiful on the outside, but in reality corruption and inequality could be found beneath the surface. As the economy was changing during the Industrial Revolution, workers began to leave rural areas and flock to urban areas for opportunities, such as working for the oil or steel industries. The development of steam railways for transportation and the greater development of factory production techniques caused more damage. A fire said to have been caused by an unextinguished match or cigarette set fire to this highly flammable work environment. This tragedy brought attention to the unregulated and unsafe working conditions that the women who lost their lives were experiencing. In response, the Women's Belt Manufacturers Union formed one of the largest women's strikes in the world. This is an example of a successful strike that proved effective in achieving higher wages and better working conditions. This strike marked the importance of organizing and bargaining among women workers. The Pullman Palace Car Company produced luxury rail cars. People who lived in the city of Pullman paid their rent with deductions from their paychecks. City and company owner George Pullman had workers' wages cut as well as making sure workers got a benefit. Many people working for the company whose wages had been cut were struggling to afford the standard cost of living in Pullman and were receiving “starvation wages.” The organization of the angry workers followed. The workers would go on a nationwide strike organized by the American Railway Union and led by a man named Eugene Debs. Eugene and his union were so powerful because they possessed the ability to cripple the production of the railroad industry. George Pullman tried to hire people to break the strike, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Federal troops were sent in and the court ruled that the workers must return to work and the strike ended. A more successful collective bargaining union was known as the American Federation of Labor (AFL), founded by Samuel Gompers in 1886. This organization focused on practical issues involving the craft unionization of skilled workers. Craftsmen were able to organize themselves because, unlike unskilled workers, they could not be easily replaced. This union bargaining for things like 8 hour work days, higher wages was not about social reform. Women's wages were not taken into account because he was dealing with the AFL