ShmoopTube

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[ musical flourish ]

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And here's your Shmoop du jour, brought to you by the iron fist,

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the newest advancement in wearable appliances.

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All right, how did groups like the ones represented by the image

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influence industry in America?

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In this image, right here.

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All right, and here are your potential answers.

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[ mumbles ]

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All right. Well, workers in unions

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commonly joined their voices as one.

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And while this particular image might be a little

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heavy-handed...

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it gives us a few clues as to how these groups attempted

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to influence industry in America.

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So did unions wield their negotiating power B -

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by creating alliances with workers overseas?

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Well, while many union members were recent immigrants

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with ties to their home countries,

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creating alliances with workers across the ocean wouldn't have

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been the most effective organizing tactic.

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So it ain't B.

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Did unions try to influence industry C -

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by establishing businesses run by workers?

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Because industry leaders were often running powerful monopolies,

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it wasn't possible for unions to simply establish their own businesses.

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So we can eliminate that little pipe dream, as well.

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Would unions have tried to throw their weight around D -

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by pushing for immigration restrictions?

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Well, while some unions, like the AFL,

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favored immigration restrictions at this time,

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others, like the CIO, were more inclusive.

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So it wasn't a cohesive strategy in this regard.

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That push-pull knocks out D, too.

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Which means that the unions most influenced industry in America A -

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by direct confrontation with business leaders.

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Take a look at that image again.

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Unions chose a giant fist,

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rather than, say, a big tree or a basket of kittens,

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to represent their aggressive solidarity.

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Since workers banded together against leaders who

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created working conditions that they thought were unfair.

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So the correct answer is A.

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Sometimes you have to take the iron fist of the law,

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well, into your own fist.

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[ wind ]

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