AP US History

Answer - A - Wage cuts were the major underlying cause of most the well-known labor battles of the late 19^th century.

Key Takeaway: In the late 19^th century, workers began to form unions, who could more easily negotiate pay and conditions than individual workers could. But industrialists fought against unions and often retaliated against workers with pay cuts. The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 and the Pullman Strike of 1894 were both begun due to management pay cuts on union workers. These strikes both basically halted railroad traffic in the United States.