The Industrial Revolution was dawning in the United States. At Lowell, Massachusetts, the construction of a big cotton mill began in 1821. It was the first of several that would be built there in the next 10 years. The machinery to spin and weave cotton into cloth would be driven by water power. All that the factory owners needed was a dependable supply of labor to tend the machines. As most jobs in cotton factories required neither great strength nor special skills, the owners thought women could do the work as well as or better than men. In addition, they...
want the right to test workers for drug use. There is also growing sentiment that all employers should be required to provide adequate health insurance to their workers-which most, but not all, already do. Many workers are fighting for the right to take unpaid leave when they have babies or when a family member is ill and needs extensive care. And, as the unemployment rate has climbed over 6 percent in 1990, there is growing sentiment that the government should help create jobs-through public works programs, job training programs and tax credits for employers in areas of high unemployment.