Labor on the Illinois Central Railroad, 1852-1900: The Evolution of an Industrial Environment (Dissertations in American Economic History)

Scholarly examination of how Illinois Central management supervised railroad employees as the new industrial economy grew. The author investigates wages, hours, and working conditions of railroaders; the attitude of managers towards the work force; and the methods by which employers endeavored to recruit, train, discipline, and provide for the safety and welfare of their employees. The book begins with the IC recruiting labor for the construction of the Charter line, and examines the corporation's handling of labor (including accidents and compensation) during the Civil War, the development of rational practices, the rise of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, the Strike of 1877, the effects of the Panic of 1893, the Pullman Boycott, health care, etc. over the years. 437 pages.