Question

How did living in company towns make union membership more difficult for workers?

Answer 1

Answer: Company guards and agents spied on and reported workers.

Explanation:

Living in company towns meant that the company had guards on the streets and agents who lived amongst workers like they were one of them. Both these guards and agents were told to keep their ears open for signs of union activity.

If a person was found to be engaging or advocating for union activity, they could lose their jobs and as people did not want to lose their job security, they generally avoided the topic which meant that the unions could not take hold in such environments.