Public Service Worker To Go On Strike Argumentative Essay

Workers became “more numerous, better organized, more disciplined, and more successful” even though employers tried to stop them (Who Built America 113). Many of these workers led strikes for better hours, better wages and better conditions. When comparing the 1800s to today, we see that strikes were very effective, an example of this is shown in the 8-hour movement. Unions helped win “more than 60 percent of the strikes waged in 1889 and 1890” (Who Built America 113). Due to these workers, employees now face fewer obstacles. Whenever workers felt as though they were being taken advantage of they could “refuse to work, if they withdraw their cooperation, every social institution can be brought to a halt” (Brecher 5). Without workers, the employers will have no one to complete products therefore not being able to make a profit. Subsequently, employees will have leverage over the employers so they can finally sit down and negotiate their conditions. This was shown in the Michigan Central Railroad where workers fought for their wages to increase by two dollars. The workers exhibited their resistance when “streetcars, wagons, and buggies were stopped; tanneries, stoneworks, clothing factories, lumberyards, brickyards, furniture factories, and a large distillery was closed in response to roving crowds” (Brecher 31). The result of this strike was “victorious, and 2 dollars a day became the standard wage in Galveston” (Brecher 31). This strike was important because it exhibited to others that if they unite then they can achieve better conditions. If the workers did not unionize they would not have achieved equality in the workforce and better wages and conditions. Without resistance, these workers would have never gotten negotiations or the necessities they need. Even if workers lost because of outside interference they eventually had the power to change the minds of

In the late 1800s and the early 1900s, labor was anything but easy. Factory workers faced long hours, low pay, high unemployment fears, and poor working conditions during this time. Life today is much easier in comparison to the late 1800s. Americans have shorter days, bigger pay and easier working conditions. Not comparable to how life is today, many riots sparked, and citizens began to fight for equal treatment. Along with other important events, the Haymarket Riot, the Pullman Strike, and the Homestead strike all play a vital role in illustrating labor’s struggle to gain fair and equitable treatment during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The shift in organized labor in the United States (U.S.) from the private sector to the public sector has been a dramatic one. Union growth in the American public sector is part of a 60-year trend fueled by the decline of labor power in the private sector (Norcross, 2011). In 2009, union membership in the public sector passed that in the private sector for the first time in U.S. history

Labor unions have existed in one way or another since the birth of our country in 1776. They were created in an effort to protect the working population from abuses such as sweatshops and unsafe working conditions. From the start of our Nation there were a few unions organized unions in a scattered fashion, but many were disbanded after they had achieved their goals, such as when the printers and shoemakers briefly unionized in Philadelphia and New York City in 1778 to conduct the first recorded strike for higher wages. Three years later in 1971 the first successful strike happened, when Philadelphia carpenters campaigned for a ten-hour workday. This caused the need for skilled and unskilled laborers to skyrocket during the Industrial Revolution and the Civil War and also got the ball rolling with Labor unions. At this point in our Country, there had been nothing done yet for workers’ rights, conditions, pay, and so on. People at this time saw that they could come together and do something to make their lives better for themselves and their families. Many of these dates were important in shaping our country’s labor policies into what they are today. In 1847 New Hampshire enacts as the first state to enforce a 10-hour workday law. In 1909 the International Ladies’ Garment workers’ Union calls a strike in New York, demanding a 20-percent raise and a 52-hour workweek. Within two days, more than 20,000 workers from 500 factories walk off the job. This largely successful uprising

Despite being able to cause a small improvement in workers’ pay and hours, labor unions ultimately died out by the 1900s due to their methods. Unable to truly focus on the plight of skilled workers, most labor unions instead focused on that of unskilled workers, pushing aside the skilled workers. (Doc D). The actions of labor unions ended up being counterproductive, forcing companies to wage war against the labor unions. These stricter contracts such as that of Western Union Telegraph Company, forced workers to affiliate themselves against labor unions. (Doc E) One important thing to note is that the workers’ rights advocates were never able to coincide on one factor. As evidenced in an illustration in 1887, labor unions had to compete with other movements such as socialism, anarchism, and other labor unions. (Doc F). Because of this, the media, although recognizing the labor union movement, began viewing the labor unions as dangerous entities. Although the initial strikes such as the Wabash strike were successful, the ones that followed proved detrimental to the movement, and caused the steady decline of the labor unions. Because some of the strikes were dangerous, many strikes resulted in the deaths of those involved, such as the Homestead Crisis, and Pinkerton (Doc G). Combined with events such as the Wildcat strike, Haymarket strike, the Pullman Strike, the public began to associate a negative

To overcome the harsh and terrible working conditions, workers decided to go on strikes to

One strike that helped to further this feeling was the Pullman strike. When the workers shut down the railroad it shut down the western half if the country and stopped the economy. This brought dislike from government, businesses, and the people. Document A shows one side of the story, with an editorial from the New York Times. Within this article it said that the riots were nothing but “rash and spiteful demonstrations.” This editorial also showed the other side of the argument calling the workers bold and determined for standing up and trying to make their lives better. Many people did not agree with the stikes and the violent scenes that often took place after. Most disagreed with the sentiments of Samuel Gompers and the leaders of other unions. In Document H, Samuel Gompers talks of how the factories are constantly changing and making improvements and if the employees do not strike how they will be left behind and walked upon. He talks of how the United States was not created without suffering and struggling and so the workers must fight for what they wanted. Finally, as shown in Document E, the people did not take kindly, to the labor unions and what they were trying to do. They saw that they all had different goals and were all trying to get

Some consequences of the strike were longer workdays. Days went from eight hour shifts to twelve hour shifts, six days a week. Wages were cut; all employees were working with a mandatory increase of hours and not making what they should have been making. People were not able to provide for their families. Conditions would continue this way until the steel industry unionized, but that would not be for about another forty-four years later. Because of the way the economy is today, unfortunately history seems to be repeating itself. There seems to be a big push to get the unions out of the work force again. Businesses cannot afford the hirer wages, benefits and security that unions afford. Businesses are being forced to downsize resulting in the layoff of workers. Cutting medical benefits and hiring more employees but only for part time positions, to keep costs down. Employees are

If the government would have stepped in and made laws protecting these people, then the relationship between employees and employers would have been pleasing to both sides. Improving the economy, this would have prevented many strikes, riots, and disputes. Such as the Pullman Strike, it was a nasty act of violence that affected the economy by creating negative views on large companies (Document E). Strikers wrote strong letters using statements like, “We struck at Pullman because we were without hope” (Document E). They did this to convey that it was their last resort to convince upper management for realistic hours, work conditions, and wages. The relationship between the two sides influenced economy in a negative way that could have been averted with a government that took action instead of letting it get out of

The hours were long and the pay was very low. If an employee got injured on the job, the company often would do nothing to help with their medical costs or support their family while they couldn’t work. Some workers couldn’t even support their families with their low wages and as a result many households didn’t have enough for food. One of the reasons that the Pullman strike occurred was many of Pullman’s workers who had worked for him for over a decade were not getting adequate food (Doc 3). Child labor was also a big problem.

positively, negatively, or combine the two. You are not required to use any other sources, but if

Therefore the strikes may have hurt them then, but later on it helped the workers with wages, safety, and rights. Most workers lost their

Yes, it is possible for the court to enforce the voluntary settlement agreement between the employer and NLRB without violating the immigration laws. As long as the illegal and the unlawful aliens are able to prove themselves about their work authorization they are safe (Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA, n.d.). If they are able to give some solid proof about themselves being legal they are enjoying the rights and the privileges, but only till then they are able to enjoy their rights. If they are proved to be illegal and are not able to give the proof about them being legal, they will be shown in the court. According to the Public Law 99-603 (Act of 11/6/86), was approved so as to control and organize the illicit migrants to the United States. Its main prerequisites lay down the legislation of some undocumented aliens who have been in continuation illegally present since 1982,

Public workers should be able to join unions and collectively bargain because it has benefits to improve their livelihoods.

Since only 13 states are still allowed to strike and 60 percent of the strikes in the last ten years have been in Pennsylvania, the best solution to school striking is to make it illegal (Lange). In order for this to be possible, changes would need to occur in the way schools are run now in Pennsylvania. When teachers feel that they deserve a pay raise, they need to talk to their boss, who is unreachable. This person also does not understand what the teachers do. Their head boss often do not go to college for education. Instead, they major in business. This person does not make for a good person for the teachers to talk to. They do not realize what these teachers do for their students and often never even see the teachers teach. They look at