Final answer:
The effectiveness of workers striking can be said to have varied historically, but overall, strikes have contributed to improved working conditions, higher wages, and increased benefits for workers. The owners' attempts to prevent strikes included legal actions against strikers, among other countermeasures. These labor movements played a significant role in shaping labor laws and business practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The effectiveness of workers when they would strike can be evaluated by the results that such actions achieved in the historical context. Strikes were typically a direct response to poor working conditions, low wages, and unfair labor practices, with workers seeking various forms of relief, including improved working conditions, higher wages, and increased benefits. Owners, on the other hand, often responded with countermeasures to avoid more strikes, one of which included legal actions against strikers. Over time, these labor disputes contributed to the establishment of labor unions, the introduction of new labor laws, and a shift in business practices that sometimes voluntarily incorporated reforms to stave off unionization and strikes.
During the labor unrest that followed World War I, some strikes did lead to positive outcomes for workers, including increased income and better working conditions for the working class. However, not all strikes were successful; many were met with resistance by both business owners and, at times, state and federal authorities. Despite this, labor activism had a lasting impact by raising workers' expectations and encouraging government and employers to pre-emptively address workers' demands before strikes occurred. Over time, this activism paved the way for Progressive reforms and the growth of labor unions in America.