Final answer:
During the Pullman Strike of 1894, strikers refused to handle trains with Pullman cars, bringing rail traffic to a halt. Violence and the deployment of U.S. troops escalated the situation, and the strike ended without significant gains for labor.
Step-by-step explanation:
The strikers employed several tactics against the Pullman Company during the Pullman Strike of 1894. To protest against wage cuts and high rents in the company town, the workers initiated a strike. The American Railway Union (ARU), led by Eugene Debs, then escalated the protest by affirming that its members would not handle any train with Pullman cars. Due to the vast number of Pullman cars in use, this effectively brought the nation's railroad system to a near standstill. The federal government responded by attaching U.S. mail cars to trains and ordering the strike to end; refusal to handle these trains could be interpreted as interfering with U.S. mail, a federal offense.
Violence ensued as strikers and their supporters began burning buildings and attacking replacement workers. The situation intensified to the point where federal troops were deployed to break the strike and protect the hiring of new workers, making the strike largely ineffective. The conflict highlighted the strife between labor and capital, and the ability of the federal government to enforce its will in labor disputes.
The Pullman Strike was emblematic of the challenges faced by labor during the industrial era, where company owners like George Pullman held significant power over their workers' living and working conditions, particularly in company towns. The strike ended with no significant labor gains and a decline in public support for the workers' cause.