Many of the new immigrants during this period became industrial workers. There was little opportunity for someone coming from Europe with no money and few connections. The new immigrants drove up the supply of unskilled labor and this led to less power for industrial workers as a whole. They were viewed as replaceable. Many worked in dangerous conditions for long hours for low wages. Without a minimum wage, workers could be paid whatever their employer thought appropriate. Many new workers even became "scabs," laborers brought in to replace workers on strike. Many of these scabs were the newest...

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