How did President Theodore Roosevelt respond to the anthracite coal strike?
Roosevelt attempted to persuade the union to end the strike with a promise that he would create a commission to study the causes of the strike and propose a solution, which Roosevelt promised to support with all of the authority of his office.
How did Roosevelt end the anthracite coal strike?
The union also accepted the commission and, on October 20, voted to end the anthracite strike. The anthracite-coal commission recommended in March 1903 increasing miners’ pay by ten percent (one-half of their demand), reducing the working day from ten to nine hours, and other concessions.
What was the government response to the anthracite coal strike?
On October 23, 1902, the miners returned to work after both sides agreed to settle the strike based on the recommendations of the Anthracite Coal Commission, a body appointed by the president. Ultimately, the miners won a ten percent increase in pay and a nine-hour workday.
Was the anthracite coal strike successful?
The victory in the anthracite coalfields breathed new life into the American labor movement. 55 It strengthened moderate labor leaders and progressive businessmen who championed negotiations as a way to labor peace. It enhanced the reputation of President Theodore Roosevelt.
Why was there a coal strike in 1912?
The dispute centred upon an attempt by the Miners Federation of Great Britain, the main trade union representing coal miners, to secure a minimum wage for miners in their district and replace the complicated wage structure then in place which often made it difficult for a miner to earn a fair day’s wage.
What was important significant about the anthracite coal miners strike?
Strikes and the public interest The victory in the anthracite coalfields breathed new life into the American labor movement. 55 It strengthened moderate labor leaders and progressive businessmen who championed negotiations as a way to labor peace. It enhanced the reputation of President Theodore Roosevelt.
Why was the 1902 coal strike significance?
The Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902 resulted in a victory for the hard-coal miners with a 10% increase in wages and an hours reduction in their working day. Anthracite coal was the most popular fuel for heating in the northern United States from the 1800s until the 1950s.
What was Roosevelt’s position in the anthracite coal strike of 1902?
President Roosevelt also was ready as a last resort to order the U.S. Army to take over the coalfields. He would do whatever was necessary to prevent interference with the resumption of work and would run the mines.
What were the reasons of the coal strike of 1902?
The Causes of the Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902 were:
- The Mine owners were making massive profits but refused to address the grievances of the miners.
- The hazards and dangers of working in the mines resulted in the miners striking for more money, shorter hours and improved working conditions.
Where did the anthracite coal strike take place?
Anthracite—or hard coal—was solid and rich in carbon, ideal for industrial and domestic use. The strike began in eastern Pennsylvania, where almost all anthracite coal was mined at the time, on May 12, 1902, after the railroad companies which owned the mines refused to meet with representatives of the union.
Why was there a coal strike in 1902?
The coal strike of 1902 The strike of 1900 was the prelude to a larger drama–the great anthracite coal strike of 1902. Restless miners demanded more pay and shorter hours, while the mine operators complained that profits were low, and that the union destroyed discipline.
Why did anthracite coal become a heating fuel?
Anthracite coal, because it burned cleaner than soft coal, had become the main heating fuel in many Eastern cities. Rivalry for control of the industry led to over expansion, violent business fluctuations, and eventually control by a few large independent mine owners, coal railroads, and bankers.
Who was the Commissioner of labor during the coal strike?
Commissioner of Labor Carroll D. Wright wrote that of 147,000 strikers, 30,000 soon left the region, and of these 8,000 to 10,000 returned to Europe. 16 Although Mitchell exhorted the miners to strike peaceably, strikers attacked scabs, terrorized their families, and lashed out at private police forces and armed guards hired by mine owners . 17