How Businesses and Government Used Union Busting to Break the Pullman Strike

Miacademy & MiaPrep Learning Channel

This educational video provides a comprehensive overview of "union busting" in the United States during the late 19th century, utilizing the 1894 Pullman Strike as a primary case study. It explains the economic motivations behind the suppression of labor unions, detailing how business owners viewed unions as threats to their profits and property rights. The video breaks down the specific tactics employed by both private corporations and the federal government to weaken and dismantle organized labor movements during the Industrial Revolution. The content is structured into three main sections: methods used by businesses (low wages, scabs, blacklists, company towns), methods used by the government (anti-union laws, injunctions, military force), and a detailed walkthrough of the Pullman Strike. Special attention is given to analyzing primary sources, such as political cartoons that framed unionists as anarchists, and understanding legal concepts like court injunctions. The narrative explains how the collaboration between corporate interests and federal power created a formidable obstacle for early labor rights movements. For educators, this video serves as an excellent resource for U.S. History and Civics units on industrialization, labor history, and government power. It features built-in "guiding questions" and a "Case File" activity where students are prompted to identify union-busting methods as they appear in the narrative. This interactive element makes it highly effective for active listening exercises, helping students connect abstract concepts to concrete historical events while fostering critical thinking about the balance between economic stability and workers' rights.