While researching the early history of U.S. labor, I ran across this page which has an excellent list of historical labor events. Unfortunately, the author, allen lutins (he prefers all lowercase), makes a fundamental error most free market opponents make.

[1] Most citizens of the United States take for granted labor laws which protect them from the evils of unregulated industry. [2] Perhaps the majority of those who argue for “free enterprise” and the removal of restrictions on capitalist corporations are unaware that over the course of this country’s history, workers have fought and often died for protection from capitalist industry. [3] In many instances, government troops were called out to crush strikes, at times firing on protesters. [4] Presented below are a few of the many incidents in the (too often overlooked) tumultuous labor history of this country.Sentence numbering added.

Look at that first sentence. “the evils of unregulated industry” implies that labor fought against unregulated industry. In sentence 2, the author indicates that “capitalist industry” is not regulated. Sentence 3 shows capitalist industry was violently supported over laborers by government. Unregulated industry is neither limited nor supported by government. Government remains neutral in a free market society. Justice does not tip for or against one group.

Sentence 3 shows that U.S. workers were seeking protection from regulated, not unregulated industry. Without government troops and police, many reforms would not have been so bloody. By supporting industry with violence, government officials were regulating industry. In a true free market government employees and troops could not legally be called to break a strike.