The workers were too far apart and there were too many companies, so it was not possible for them to make a huge country-wide union because the people didn't even know each other. This enabled the companies to beat unions more easily when it came to worker rights.
North American settlements were often founded by joint-stock companies because it was most profitable to pool resources, like money, and share the risk of investing.
Answer to poverty: They were often poor, had little job skill, and were poorly paid at their jobs.
