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The Homestead Strike of 1892 was the first confrontation between a modern corporation and an organized labor union. It was a bitter wage battle between unsettled workers and an unsympathetic company. A simple strike turned deadly as unionists sought to improve working conditions and owners tried to attain more profit. Steel mogul Andrew Carnegie took ownership of Homestead Works in 1883, after it he purchased it from Henry Clay Frick. Trying to dominate the industry, Carnegie focused on maintaining low prices, which meant keeping workers' wages low. He often boasted about his good relations with his workers and spoke favorably of unions. Although his words were kind, his actions hurt laborers. His employees worked 12 ho