We know this from various historical documents that tell of work stoppages and the creation of worker benevolent associations a primitive form of unionism was gradually coming into existence. “It wasn’t until 1864 that the first modern longshoremen’s union was formed in the port of New York.”īy mid-century, the longshoremen had begun to organize. The day was coming when none but they themselves would be the masters of their destinies. But an unseen change was being wrought in the souls of these good men. Many were new to the country and unfamiliar with the customs and language. Their working conditions were wretched and their wages pitiful. The number of professional longshoremen grew by thousands.Įxploitation of Workers The First Longshoremen’s Unionīy the early 19 th century, the longshoreman of the day eked out a meager existence along the North Atlantic coast. Land was no longer cheap or easy to be get, and many new immigrants congregated in the cities, hoping to find work amid the bustle, especially along the coast, where the bulk of the growing country’s business was still being done. As the new land began to develop a fledgling economy, and the ships were too many to count, the men were drawn to the shores by the extra money they could earn stevedoring precious cargo on and off the ships.Īs the nation matured, European imperialism gave birth to exploitative mercantilist trade practices. In the first hard years of life in this country, they left their occupations freely to unload the anxiously awaited, sometimes desperately needed, supplies without pay. The roots of the International Longshoremen’s Association lie deep in the history of colonial America when the arrival of each new ship bearing goods from the Old World was greeted with cries for “Men ‘long shore!” The longshoremen who rushed up to the ships were colonists, normally engaged in any number of full-time occupations.
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