• forty-hour work weeks
• the right to unionize
• the right to work in a safe environment
• the right to fair and just compensation
• the right to strike

CS Question #1: Why do you suppose that workers have not always been given many rights?

In the early 20th century, Eugene V. Debs began campaigning for unions and the Socialist Party. His views were considered radical by his contemporaries. In his time, Debs was denounced as un-American and even imprisoned for his beliefs. Later in the 20th century, Debs' ideas had entered into the political orthodoxy and were considered traditional American values. A quick examination of Debs' career will shed some light on how American political ideas have changed since industrialization.

Eugene V. Debs was born in Indiana in 1855. As a young man, he dropped out of high school and began working as a firefighter for the railroad. This job led him to the Brotherhood of Local Firemen Union, where he began taking leadership positions. At 24 years old, Debs began his career in politics. He became the city clerk of his hometown, Terre Haute, Indiana.

In 1893, he organized the first industrial union in the United States: the American Railway Union. That same year, the union led a successful strike that lasted only 18 days. Through collective bargaining, all of the demands of the union were met. Made confident by this success, Debs helped organize a strike against Pullman Railway Cars. The strike was called to protest the company's terrible labor practices. Unlike the first strike he led, the Pullman strike was a disaster. The Pullman Company had the support of the government, the other railway companies and the press reporters. The Pullman Company locked out the strikers and crushed their picket lines using hired security guards. Debs was jailed for disobeying a federal injunction prohibiting the strike. The Pullman strike failed and set back the progress of labor unions. However, it cemented Debs' credibility with American workers.

CS Question #2: Why do you think the government support the Pullman Company and not the workers who were being treated unfairly?

Although the Pullman strike failed, it did not stop Debs from fighting for better conditions for the working class. As a candidate of the Socialist Party, he ran in four presidential elections between the years of 1900 and 1912. He informed the people of the United States of the abuses of companies against workers. Although he never came close to winning an election, his message brought attention to the issues of unfair labor practices. It forced the major Republican and Democratic candidates to also address those issues.

Eugene V. Debs' most controversial moment occurred in 1918 during a speech he made in Canton, Ohio. The United States had just entered World War I. The government, under President Woodrow Wilson, had passed a series of censorship laws. Debs spoke openly against the war and chastised the government for involving the American people in a European war. He also questioned the Espionage Act, which made it illegal to criticize the war effort. In 1919, Debs was sentenced to a 10-year term in federal prison for violating that law.

In 1920, Debs ran another presidential campaign - this time from a prison cell. He had been arrested by the federal government for speaking out against the United States' participation in World War I. He received over one million votes from prison!

While Debs was in prison, his political ideas were transformed. He no longer viewed unions as the only way to defend the rights of American workers. The prevailing political, social and economic situation of his time was one of corporate monopolies and government willingness to side with industrial interests. There was no minimum wage or compensation for injured workers. There were no child labor laws. There was little government regulation of industries. Debs realized that without the help of the government, trade unions could not bring about effective changes. He believed that a socialist government and a unionist population were necessary to protect American workers.

Although he was pardoned two years later by President Warren Harding, prison had taken its toll on Debs. His remaining years were spent trying to recover his health, reinvigorate the Socialist Party and bring the plight of oppressed African American workers to national attention. Until his death in 1926, Eugene V. Debs spoke out against social injustice and encouraged Americans to build a better society. He was released in 1921 and died in 1925, having never fully recovered from his time in prison.

CS Question #3: How did Eugene V. Debs affect the presidential elections from 1900 to 1912?

Historians view Eugene V. Debs as a very influential labor leader who brought the issues of labor into politics. He was not successful in getting a substantial number of real concessions from large businesses. However, he did lay the groundwork for the progress that has occurred since the time of his death. Because of his and other leaders' efforts, laws were created to prevent unfair labor practices. There are now specific legal grievance procedures that workers can use to report unfair treatment to their employers and to the government.

Business owners have found that if their workers are satisfied, their company is more productive and profitable. To support the relationship between workers and management, many companies employ labor relation specialists. Their job is to negotiate and communicate with labor leaders. Many agency shops will not even employ workers who do not belong to a workers' union. Today's improved relationships between management and workers are quite different from those in the time of Debs. Through his efforts and the efforts of others, United States workers have gained security, safety and rights in the workplace.

CS Question #4: In your opinion, what was Eugene V. Debs' greatest legacy?

Further Thought:

1. How have labor relations improved since Eugene V. Debs' lifetime?
2. Why is it important for workers to be treated fairly? Provide at least three reasons.
3. How have Eugene V. Debs' ideas influenced the current U.S. economy?