question plus case study the Pullman case

THE PARABLE OF PULLMAN In 1894 the model town of Pultrian became the stom conter for one of the closslc labor struggles In Amedcan social history. What began as a revalt of the Pullman Shops employees egelnst wage cuts and oppresstve compary proctices, escalated Into a nationsi rallusy workers' boycott drected against the handing of trains carrying Pullman cars it was followed by fedenal intervention with almost half the US. Arriy at the service of the employers. The use of amy trocps broucht about a biter dispuse pliting the Govemor of lilinals and the Mayer of Chicogo against President Groser Cleveland, who had ordered the troops seat in. And that led to the evertual defeat of Cleveland in his bid for renomination by the Democratic Party two years later, in the process of this epic tragedy. people were killed, the Ameican Ralwny thilon was destroyed, the Puliman workess were forced back to work on the compeny's terins, and George Pullman beceme a reviled coricature of the hard-hearted and urjust corporate Tycoon-2l in order to keep labor in its place, Recipe for Disaster A "recession," as we would cell It now, gripped the nation's economy beginning in 1993. Orders for Pultien cost fell of and management began a proarara of loy-offs and woge cuts. The cuts, appiled not to manogertat employees but only to the houtly workers, averaged 25 percent. Since Pullman wages were close to tha subsisfence level, it was a recipe for disaster. The situation was all the more desperate for the workers who lived in the town, becruse the company tefused to lower the rents. Even more gafing, the compony mace sure it collected the rentsfight cut of the payt The comporry's control of the town fand the people in in was. close to absolute. Even the Green Stone Church was the compeny's property. lis use was rented out for religious services for a fee. Ptilman expected the church. builiding to eam the usual stx percent return on imvestment indeed, George Pulmar, expecied the church bulding to be rented by various denominations, thelr services to operate much nitce the shilfs in his shops. A Money Machine Everything he put his hand to made money. In 1980 he comrnenced buiding the shogrs and the town on 4300 acres of tand (sbout sx square miles) which he had tought for 500,000 dollass. Dy 1892 a was walited at 5 milison: Some 12,000 people thed in the town, which ran sccording to Pullman's rules, No. llavor could be sold except at the Fiotence Hote, white workers hordy vemured. There were numerous regultetions designed to reiniforce the fown's image of istory-articles/the-parable-of-puliman The Parable of Puatense - thnoin Labor Hettory Soclety Wdatbiteut decerum in sess the linutious Prot Richerd By wrote in Hepers Intignilicent when compered wat the nuting mstorty of the Pliman Palace Car Company in Pulitien." Dedsed one Pulfrian employee: sahcol, catechlized in the Purmacr Churth and when we tie we shetl go to the pultion Hell: tewn at a "chired relic al Euspean serfdom" Ceerge Phitiman fixplairat Futhun repected al those who considered him to be a benefecter or a phlactiropist in his viton of the town. He detertbed his intentions in practical business teons "That such ocvsitages and sumbundings medo better werkmen by removing fiena them the foeing of deconoint and desire for ctange which no geneesty charactions the American vorkians thus pretecting the employer frem loss of time and tioney consequert epen irtemperance, lebor strikes, and dissatisfocton which generaly resulf fom povery and uncongeniti home sarroundings" Dit Pallint foled to fallow his own presorption. His wege cut policy buthe the whter of tax394 certarly indoced "poverty and uncongerial home sumpundings" Nor coula the emplojeet ticape to fower rert hounling It neerby Roselarid, for the compony grye employment prederence is Pulamal retidents. The Unioa in Organized Their riccourse was to begle the formation of a iocil union of the Amertcan Ralway Uhion in the Pultan shoge. There were only aboes 3300 workers lett on the pevidl union yors sait to derrand that Philmag rescind tre oucr. They were met by VicePresldert Thomas I. Whilios, and briefy addressed by George Pullman. Hie celused dry ustion on the wage ats, bee premised to lock the cortplents ntout the behevior of foremen and other masert. Bot, the very riot dry, May 7o, thet, three meriters of the conmittee were: discharped A mass mees of of the Pulman wadkes voted te trike. icket loes were set up and production hased. -th the comenthee, hesding to hir sumest home on the News jersey sowhtre in Dricsoa. Hex. Curwavifine Appeals The delegales wers sidiressed by the Fimc, Celasardine, wha desoiped the worsenirg conpton of the Fulmin woikers, and pppeaied for the crrvertion to "ect quicldyc th the name of God and numanity" The convertion lent a connitlee to see Wickes and proposte watroban of the dispute. Wiskes relused. sing arficles the-paratie-of pulenan The Parable of Pulman - Minois Lobor Hastory Society Sebunted in their elfors to resolve the dispute through arbltation, the ARU tied a new tacic. They voted to refuse to work any trsin that caried s Piliman cer stee? June 26, uniess the conpeny had changed its position on arbitretion. Instead, the Genersi Managers of the 24 raiteads terminating in Chicago met with Wickes and acreed uranlinoushy to support the Pultmen Compsey and dety the ARU. Rat workers responded to the boycott cal and would surely have prevsled in a matter of deyas had not the Feceral Govemment irtervened on masgentint's behalt. Friends in Heh Places Acting ot the behest of his Attoeney Cenenl, a fomer raliood atromey namod Pichurd Ciney, Prestdent Cleveland appointed a speclal counsel to deal with the strike on the grounds that us. mals wea beng inceded tideed they were, becaise the thiliceds were celoctoteby hooking Puttman con to mat trains. Oevelends chace for the tpeciat counsel was none other then Eawzrd Walker, the nhanney for the Miwoskse Rairosd. Wolcer Hired 4,000 strkebreakess and rade them deputymershais nnned weth bodge end gun. Great masses of sympothetic workers, bardaulaty in the Cicago ares, responded by attacing the twins. There were casusties, troins were tarched, end 12.000 federal troops deployed inopecatmitely hatt the US. anmeh astensbly to keep the peace, but sutely so break the boyeot. The Strike Ends An injunction was secured under which AAd pretident Eugene V. Orts and ether leeders weie sentericed to jac on july 18 , Pulman onnaurced it would leopen the shops and tire only persons who wovid sign a "yellowideg" contract promising never to jeis a urion welce a Pultain errplopee. Thus ended the great Pullinan Sothe but tiere were unepectod atereticas, While serving Hls then in the Woodstock in, per, Duts decided that labor needed to win poivical power to match Jat of the employers Accoridingly, he became the Soclatst Parys presidential centidete, recelving alinost omilien votes in 12 . A young amomey for one of the ratimass was cittaged by the fole of thin General Maragers. He qut the job, teter to become a fachous lowper in the samice of labot, Hos name wos Garence Dertow tinds Geventar Jchn P. Allgeld wits incerised of Cleveland tor puting the tedeal govemitient at the tevice of the employers, and for rejecting Atgelicis plan to use his state midele to keep ardes, ustesd of lederal troops. As theleader ef the sinnas delepation to the Democidte Paity Convertion in 1896. Argeld used his infuence and bhocked the tenomination of Ceve'sid is the presiderthe cindidate. And Cecrge Pulatan? He died swo yesrs ahse the chile, hated and festul cust even tis lomb h Grocelenc Cemetery vould be desecised by an angry populsce. ECkas shere: cotegories / tabor biefichipenble foge/ pullowt istinas hatory What is your opinion of George Pullman? Did your opinion of him change over time as you read through the case? How and WHY did it change