Weekend off? Unions
9-5? Unions
Retirement Savings? Unions
Pension Program? Unions
Health Benefits? Unions
Vacation Time? Unions
Sick Time? Unions
Lunch break? Unions
Work place safety regulations? Unions
Boss threaten to fire you if you don't let him screw your wife? Unions
And who opposed to the socialized health insurance movement? Nearly every medical association (doctors, dentists), the entire insurance industry, the pharmaceutical industry, and even premiers of provinces.
Employers were not willing to give those concessions without a fight.
Today, they don't have to fight. They can offshore, outsource, or automate your job. There are a lot more options these days then there were back then...
These all boil down to the same thing. Firing the offending laborer. So really we haven't advanced far since the 1850's.
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This is why Anti-Unionists get so pissy about Unions blocking people from being fired. It removes the main power owners have over their workers.