How did factory owners respond to the flood of immigrants into American cities?
• In many cases, working conditions worsened.
• The factory owners decided to ban foreign workers.
• In most cases, workers' pay increased
• The factory owners turned to labor unions to control the workers
In response to the flood of immigrants into American cities, factory owners took different approaches. Some of them chose to exploit the immigrants' desperate need for employment by worsening working conditions. This included longer work hours, low wages, and hazardous working environments.
Rather than outright banning foreign workers, factory owners often preferred to hire immigrants as they were willing to work for lower wages and were less likely to join labor movements. This allowed the owners to maintain a cheap labor force.
While it is true that some workers' pay increased due to high demand for labor, this was not the case for all immigrants. Many immigrants faced low wages due to their lack of bargaining power and the abundance of available labor.
Some factory owners did turn to labor unions, but not to control workers. Labor unions were organizations formed by workers to advocate for better wages, working conditions, and other rights. Factory owners often resisted unionization and used various tactics to suppress workers' organizing efforts, including hiring strikebreakers and actively opposing union activities.
Overall, the response of factory owners to the influx of immigrants varied, but generally, it involved exploiting their cheap labor, resisting unionization, and maintaining control over the workforce.