American Federation Of Labor Case Study

The AFL was not a labor organization, but a federation of affiliated labor unions. (Dubofsky & Foster, 2004, p. 138). The AFL was exclusive, accepting skilled workers in crafts industries and skilled workers in industry. The AFL's goals were economic, they provided financial and political support for affiliated labor unions in contract negotiations with employers. (Dubofsky & Foster, 2004, p. 139). The political objectives they did pursue usually had to do with the nature of labor negotiations.

It is seen that frequent disagreements between the workers and their employers usually results in strikes and protests. During World War II, it was no different, as there were many strikes and protests that took place during that time in war production factories. As the War started, the government needed more weapons, machineries, tanks and other military equipment’s in order to fight and win the war. In order to meet the increased demands of war, new war production factories had to be built, along with existing car manufacturing industries being transformed for war production as well. It was seen that during this time period war production changed the relationship between the Congress of Industrial organizations (CIO) and American Federation of Labor (AFL), with their employers and the national government. As organized labor

1. Assess proposals to institute pay for performance in federal agencies. What are the consequences of adopting new labor–management procedures at a time when the United States is deeply involved with homeland security and other national security concerns?

Throughout American history, labor unions have served to facilitate mediation between workers and employers. Workers seek to negotiate with employers for more control over their labor and its fruits. “A labor union can best be defined as an organization that exists for the purpose of representing its members to their employers regarding wages and terms and conditions of employment” (Hunter). Labor unions’ principal objectives are to increase wages, shorten work days, achieve greater benefits, and improve working conditions. Despite these goals, the early years of union formation were characterized by difficulties (Hunter).

The labor relations movement has been one of the most successful driving forces behind such efforts as: providing aid to workers who were injured or retired, better health benefits and to stop the practice of child labor in the workforce. Ostensibly, unions in the United States arose out of the need to better protect the “common interests” of laborers. Today, many of the social movements and alliances forged are created under the guise to better protect the employer from a plethora of interests made against the organization, rather than, increasing wages, improving reasonable employment hours and/or enhancing work conditions.

Labor union were crucial in the late 1800’s when the workers were working long hours, doing hard work, without any extra pay. Job security (could be fired at any given time) and safety precautions did not exist in this era, jobs in this day was typically a threat to the workers due to the bad working conditions. When the union was formed in 1866 it was not easy, but if the workers understood how it would benefit them it would have been a greater successes. Due to lack of education, the communication between the union and the works was broken. Some of the religious beliefs created a hardship on getting the union passed. One of the unions called the AFL (American Federation of Labor) was created in 1881 that would try to fight for workers’ rights.

Unions were formed to protect and improve the rights of workers. Their first order of business was to establish the eight-hour workday and in 1866, the national labor union was formed. Labor movements were around before 1866, but few organized up until this point. Unions created an environment for workers with difficult tasks, creating better pay, safer work conditions, and sanitary work conditions. Unions made life better for many Americans in the private sector. Collective bargaining became the way in which employers and a group of employees reached agreements, coming to a common consensus. From 1866 to the early 1900’s Unions continued to make headways increasing membership and power. The real gains started in 1933 after several pieces of legislature, which saved banks, plantations, and farmers. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) proposed an important, and controversial, amendment to the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933. It insisted that language from the pro-labor Norris-LaGuardia Act of 1932 be added to the simple declaration of the right to collective bargaining. The setbacks the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) suffered in Little Steel and textiles in the latter half of 1937, and in Congress from 1938 to 1940, despite the gains made by the AFL, by 1940 the amendment had stalled. WWII created a rapid buildup within the industrial complex, creating more work for women and African Americans, overshadowing the union’s inability to project their power

The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor is a regional labor organization in the state of Los Angeles that has evolved representation of the interests of workers to include political involvement. Its formation was a function of political influence in labor and the relevance of merging labor movements to have better representations and high compulsion among leaders (Dean et al., 2009). The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, as the name suggests, is a composite labor body formed after the merging of all labor bodies in Los Angeles.

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance mission is to give Asian and Pacific Islander workers a voice in the work place, seek for better pay, and improved benefits such as health insurance. APALA was created because of the awareness of unsafe working conditions in the workplace and child labor, which the federation see as a threat to American job. Yet, even today there are still many Asian American workers being treated unfairly in their workplace such as employers threaten to call the immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) in 52% of all organizing efforts involving undocumented workers (APALA web). Employers have manipulated the labor system by taking advantage of their position to restrict the mobility of workers, eliminate

He did not agree with KOL’s opinion on mutual agreements between employees and employers. He thought that workers could only receive more benefits if capitalism kept growing. This could lead to mutual interest over it, but not full complete agreements. The tactics of the AFL included economic pressure tactics for collective bargaining efforts. In the AFL, strikes were considered a collective bargaining tactic. Another tactic included the involvement in the political arena. The last tactic listed was to improve the public status and reputation of the collective bargaining process and organized labor. The organization of the AFL was based on decentralized authority and exclusive union jurisdiction. They got rid of the one big union and moved on to one union representing each recognizable skilled craft. This was a voluntary organization where craft unions dominated. Strikes are viable and there was enhanced public status. They wanted to keep out foreigners, less skilled blacks and females. Women would receive lower wages than the

Michael Paul 099 66 3949 History 316z Trade unionism, industrial unionism, and socialism were the main forms of organized labor in the late nineteenth century early twentieth century, yet rarely did these shifting currents flow in complementary ways that might appeal to the vast majority of struggling workers. The three most important formal organizations were the American Federation of Labor (AFL), the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and the Socialist Party of America. All three of these organizations had there own strengths but the many weaknesses and divisions combined with outside influences caused the retardation of their radical, left wing ideas. The American Federation of Labor was founded with the intention of building the

The Department of Labor is a department of the federal government who is responsible for promoting and fostering the wellbeing of individuals in the United States who are currently working, seeking employment or retired. “The DOL is directly related to business communities in the United States by its official charge to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of wage earners of the United States; improve their working conditions; and advance their opportunities for profitable employment” (Shuman, 2013). Their website features a health plans and benefits section that focuses on employee rights regarding benefits. This website helps individuals understand their rights to benefits as employees in the United States. It is also helpful for

THE AFL ASSERTED AS A FORMAL POLICY THAT IT REPRESENTED ALL WORKERS, IRRESPECTIVE OF SKILL, RACE, RELIGION, NATIONALITY, OR GENDER. BUT THE NATIONAL UNIONS THAT HAD CREATED THE AFL IN FACT COMPRISED ONLY THE SKILLED TRADES. ALMOST AT ONCE, THEREFORE, THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT ENCOUNTERED A DILEMMA: HOW TO SQUARE IDEOLOGICAL ASPIRATIONS AGAINST CONTRARY INSTITUTIONAL REALITIES? AS SWEEPING TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE BEGAN TO UNDERMINE

What is clearly evident, however, is that the working people of America have had to unite in struggle to achieve the gains that they have accumulated during this century. Improvements did not come easily. Organizing unions, winning the right to representation, using the collective bargaining process as the core of their activities, struggling against bias and