Terence Vincent Powderly (1849-1924) was an Irish-American Labor union leader, who was the head of the Knights of Labor in the late 1880s. In “The Plea for Eight Hours,” Powderly makes an argument in favor of the eight-hour workday. As you read, make notes about the methods Powderly uses to persuade his audience, as well as how he describes the evolution of labor. This informational text is for grade 11 readers. "The Plea for Eight Hours" by Terence Powderly (1890) is in the public domain.