Factory owners employed various tactics to deter the formation of labor unions. Some of the most common methods included:
- Paying off union leaders: In some cases, owners would offer financial incentives to union leaders to keep them from organizing workers.’
- Arresting union leaders: Factory owners sometimes used their influence to have union leaders wrongfully arrested to disrupt union activities and instill fear among workers.
- Using force: In extreme situations, owners would resort to physical violence or hire private security to break up strikes and intimidate workers.
- Hiring workers who promised not to unionize: By only employing individuals who agreed to not join a union, factory owners aimed to create a workforce less likely to organize.
These strategies highlight the lengths to which some factory owners would go to maintain control over their workforce and limit the power of labor unions.