The Pullman Strike was a nationwide railroad strike in the United States that lasted from May 11 to July 20 , 1894 , and a turning point for US labor law .

It pitted Hostile_encounter the American Railway Union ( ARU ) against the Pullman Company , the main railroads , and the federal government of the United States under President Grover Cleveland .

The conflict Hostile_encounter began Process_start in Pullman , Chicago , on May 11 when nearly 4,000 factory employees of the Pullman Company began Process_start a wildcat strike Attack in response to recent reductions in wages .

The conflict Hostile_encounter began Process_start in Pullman , Chicago , on May 11 when nearly 4,000 factory employees of the Pullman Company began Process_start a wildcat strike Attack in response to recent reductions in wages .

Most of the factory workers who built Pullman cars lived in the `` company town '' of Pullman on the South Side of Chicago , Illinois .

Most of the factory workers who built Pullman cars lived in the `` company town '' of Pullman on the South Side of Chicago , Illinois .

The industrialist George Pullman had designed Create_artwork it ostensibly as a model community .

Pullman had a diverse work force .

Pullman used Using ads and other campaigns to help bring workers into his company .

Among the reasons for the strike Attack were the absence of democracy within the town of Pullman and its politics , the rigid paternalistic control Control of the workers by the company , excessive water and gas rates , and a refusal Agree_or_refuse_to_act by the company to allow workers to buy and own houses .

Debs brought in Bringing ARU organizers to Pullman and signed up Employment many of the disgruntled factory workers .

When the Pullman Company refused Agree_or_refuse_to_act recognition of the ARU or any negotiations , ARU called a strike Attack against the factory , but it showed no sign of success .

To win the strike Attack , Debs decided Deciding to stop Process_end the movement of Pullman cars on railroads .

The over-the-rail Pullman employees ( such as conductors and porters ) did not go on strike Attack .

Debs and the ARU called Request a massive boycott against all trains that carried a Pullman car .

The express was a Birmingham Pullman service travelling Traveling from Birmingham Snow Hill to London Paddington , having departed at 1pm .

The Pullman was 9 coaches long , and was hauled by an 11-month-old diesel hydraulic Class 52 `` Western '' locomotive , No .

The express train was normally formed Coming_to_be by a Blue Pullman multiple unit , an experimental type of new luxury train built for pullman services , but this regular train had to be taken out Removing of service and replaced Change_of_leadership by the stand-by diesel hydraulic .

One of the drivers killed in the accident was Ernie Morris , one of the first drivers to be certified on the Blue Pullman sets , and who had featured in the 1962 British Transport Film `` Lets Go To Birmingham '' which was a driver 's eye view of the Blue Pullman sets on a run from London Paddington to Birmingham Snow Hill .

One of the drivers killed in the accident was Ernie Morris , one of the first drivers to be certified on the Blue Pullman sets , and who had featured in the 1962 British Transport Film `` Lets Go To Birmingham '' which was a driver 's eye view of the Blue Pullman sets on a run from London Paddington to Birmingham Snow Hill .