Why did the pullman strike become nationwide?

The Pullman Strike became nationwide due to its connection to the broader labor movement and the involvement of the American Railway Union (ARU), led by Eugene V. Debs. When workers at the Pullman Company went on strike in May 1894 over wage cuts and high rents in company-owned housing, the strike quickly disrupted rail traffic across the country, as the ARU supported the strikers by boycotting trains carrying Pullman cars. The federal government intervened by issuing an injunction and sending in troops to break the strike, escalating tensions and making it a national issue that highlighted the struggles of labor against corporate power and government intervention.