“Pinkertons” and the History of Labor Disputes

Photo by Austrian National Library on Unsplash

Labor disputes have a long history. We have evidence of at least one strike in ancient Egypt.

Striking, done right, is a way workers can express their power. It has to be coordinated, or it just gets people fired.

And some companies will negotiate at the first hint of an “action.” Others, meanwhile…have resorted to all kinds of methods to break strikes. Including bribing politicians to help.

And then there’s the strikebreakers.

The Pinkerton National Detective Agency

In the 1850s, the Pinkerton National Detective Agency was formed. For its time, it was an incredibly progressive company, hiring minorities and women. It provided a variety of security work (no doubt the reason it hired women; having female bodyguards is highly useful). At the height of its power, Pinkerton was the largest private law enforcement organization in the world.

But very quickly, things took a darker turn. When businesses had strike issues, they turned to Pinkerton.

Pinkerton agents infiltrated unions, recruited goon squads to intimidate workers, and brought violence to the picket lines. Their goal was to stop the action by any means.