Which statement about labor unions in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries is not true? a. the main purpose of early labor unions was to get better conditions and better pay for workers. b. the american public, the press, and business owners overwhelmingly supported the cause of labor unions. c. business leaders often reacted to strikes by hiring armed men and scabs to break them up. d. unions had more power than individual workers because one worker can be fired easily but not a whole group.

The correct answer is b) The American public, the press, and business owners overwhelmingly supported the cause of labor unions.

This above statement is completely untrue

Explanation:

By the 19th and the early 20th century, the United States had become an industrial power with a large export base.

Within larger companies and manufacturing plants, there was a surge in labor unions as a way to communicate with the management collectively and demand better working conditions or better pay.

However, most of these labor unions were extremely unpopular among business owners, the press and among the general public. Unions were often times seen as becoming too powerful and able to blackmail corporations.

There were even cases of some business owners employing people who would violently crack down on unions within a company.