Final answer:
The Railroad & Pullman strikes and the Haymarket Bombing negatively affected public perception of labor unions due to their association with violence and radicalism. Public reactions ranged from mistrust to outright hostility, leading to a harsh crackdown by the government and employers on union activities, and a temporary setback for the labor movement.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Railroad & Pullman strikes, along with events like the Haymarket Bombing, significantly impacted the perception of labor unions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These strikes often turned violent, casting labor unions in a negative light and fueling public fears of anarchy and radicalism.
The intervention of state and federal agencies to suppress these strikes, as was the case with the Railroad Strike of 1877 and the Pullman Strike of 1894, showed the extent of resistance to labor activism. The public's reaction to these events was shaped by ongoing social narratives about work ethic, individualism, and the threat of radical ideologies.
The result was a setback to the labor movement, where workers were left unprotected and public opinion swayed against them. These confrontations have revealed deep-seated hostilities between labor and management, as well as a significant misalignment of interests. Management strategies such as open shops, strikebreakers, and yellow-dog contracts, compounded by cultural and racial divides among workers further hindered unionization efforts.
However, despite the hostility and significant setbacks, labor strikes during the time also highlighted workers' increased expectations and a willingness to fight for their rights, which would lay the groundwork for future labor advancements and union activities.