The Labor Movement In The 1930's

The movement in organized labor from 1875 to 1900 to improve the position of workers was unsuccessful because of the inherent weaknesses of unions and the failures of their strikes, the negative public attitudes toward organized labor, widespread government corruption, and the tendency of government to side with big business. After the Civil there was a push to industrialize quickly, and the rushed industrialization was at the expense of the workers as it led to bigger profits for big business and atrocious working conditions for them; conditions that included long working hours, extremely low wages, and the exploitation of children and immigrants.

With Babies and Banners the major accomplishments of the labor movement gave women respect and dignity during the time because society only looked at women as stay home mothers/wives. After they helped the union men during the strike they were able to have a voice in the workforce and be seen as equal in the work environment as well. With the help of women the union was able to organize and collectively bargain with General Motors. This was the first time the union was successful in doing so because before women got involved there were many strikes and riots in the town amongst workers and the police. In Bruce Nelsons Radical Years Working Class details the major accomplishments of the labor movement. The “Big Strike” railed other workers coast

In the period immediately following World War I, American workers struggled to earn a living as prices rose and wages stagnated, forcing them to seek union support. Labor unions endeavored to represent the working class against their employers and corporations, who refused to increase wages or improve working conditions. In order to combat the capitalist’s immense political clout, unions made their voice heard through strikes. After the war, capitalists linked unions to the mounting communist threat, stressing that strikes undermined capitalism and threatened a republican form of government. As a result, government sided with capital against labor unions and the struggle of the American workers, who had no voice against corporations. This struggle can be exemplified in a correspondence between union leader, Samuel Gompers and bishop William Quayle, published in “The Twenties in Contemporary Commentary: Labor & Capital”. The letters demonstrate that in the 1920’s, labor unions were necessary as a means to overcome capitalist greed and enhanced the ideals of democracy by empowering the working class.

There are two important individuals, who were concerned with issues about socialism in 1920s. On of them was Albert Schaffle, who asked two important questions: “How resources, which are in deficit, will be distributed?” and “Is individual freedom can be existed under socialism?”. Whereas Gustav Cassel asked: “Can we reach the highest level of wealth in socialism?” These 3 were main issues about socialism.

In the 1800’s, before the establishment of factories, laborers worked from home and received a “piece-rate wage” based on the output and quality of products produced. Cottage industries included spinning, weaving, lacing, and branding, which provided job opportunities and a source of income for women. This “piece-rate wage” system disappeared during the Industrial Revolution, when steam-powered factories became laborers’ workplace. As women started to get older, the gender wage gap widened; by the age of 30, women factory workers only earned approximately one-third of a man’s wage. Women organized into labor unions, which utilized strikes to negotiate labor rights and fair pay. The strikes were not always successful, but started to catch the

The life of a migrant worker in the 1930s were very depressing one. The Great Depression cause many workers to move from place to place for jobs. Most of these migrant workers are alone with no friends or family and unable to trust people. Some Just like George and Lennie from the book Of Mice Of Men travel together. Of Mice and Men is a story about two men the The Great Depression

Imagine your parents died at work when you were a young child, and your family was in poverty. This happened all of the time in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s because of the lack of rights for workers. It was the job of many early labor unions of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s make working conditions for workers better. Early labor unions such as the Knights of Columbus, the American Federation of Labor, and the National Labor Union were all successful in creating rights for workers and making working conditions better. There are many ways that labor unions have affected modern day society.

In this way, the Great Depression was a turning point for labor reform in the U.S. because FDR leveraged public distrust and economic uncertainty to enact radical social change at the federal level. His impact on labor reform was possibly the most substantial of any president in U.S. history because his New Deal plan successfully enacted legislation such as the Wagner Act of 1935, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, and the Social Security Act of 1935. Together, the Wagner Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act addressed the objectives of the labor movement in their entirety as they protected workers’ right to unionize as well as establishing a minimum wage and the eight-hour workday, respectively. Although seemingly tangential, the Social Security Act also protected workers because it allowed them to retire earlier instead of having to work through old age, which in turn allowed younger workers to find jobs. This body of legislation passed under the New Deal was instrumental in ensuring the future protection of workers, especially as the U.S. entered WWII and reverted to wartime production

In 1935, New York Senator Robert F. Wagner introduced the National Labor Relations Act (also known as the Wagner Act). This Act provided workers with more federal protection, and provided a crucial enforcement mechanism. Things started to turn in the other direction in 1947, when the Labor-Management Relations Act was passed (also known as the Taft-Hartley Act). This was an attack on the Wagner Act, and it made it illegal for there to be a workplace in which no one can be hired without first being a member of a union. The Taft-Hartley act also gave the president the power to call for a cooling off period before a strike by declaring an injunction against work stoppage that put the nation in any sort of harm or danger.

During this period, there was a widespread of social activism and political reform throughout the United States, that lasted from the 1890s to the 1920s. During that time, Theodore Roosevelt served his term as president. The Era was dominated by social reform issues relating to working conditions, woman, cities, and the government. The progressive moment started because the progressives believed the government should be more involved in restoring the problems in society. They believed it was important to protect the welfare of Americans by environmental reforms.

The labor movement in the United States began due to the need of the common interest of workers to protect themselves from their employers. Those who worked in the industrial sector, organized labor unions were formed to fight for better wages, reasonable hours, and safer working conditions for the employees. Understanding the history of the labor movement in the United States from the Industrial Revolution will allow for a better understanding of the purpose of the labor movement. Incorporating how the following theories: The Mainstream Economics School, The Human Resource Management School, The Industrial Relations School, and The Critical Industrial Relations School the labor issues in the early periods will allow future organizations to address issues in a more precise manner.

Born of the populist movement, the progressive era was a period in the United States during the late 1890’s to early 1920’s. What began as a social reform effort developed into a full on political movement. The “Progressive’s”, as they were called, sought to purify the government of corruption, push for modernization, and pushed the legislative agenda to focus more on healthier families, better education, female suffrage, labor issues and finally, prohibition. The progressives thought that the issues of poverty, racism and classism could best be addressed by providing citizens with greater access to educational opportunities, safer living environments, and even better working conditions. They also sought to “Americanize” the Native American’s and immigrants communities in an effort to unite the country.

During the late 1800’s America became involved in a large labor movement that would shape history. As America was becoming more industrialized, the need for workers increased overnight. “The workplace was changing as machines became common and the demand for unskilled workers brought new groups into the workforce including immigrants, women, and children” (Aboukhadijeh). The desperation from both employees and employers brought awareness to working conditions. Employees desired better working conditions, increased wages, and decreased working hours. Communicating with employers proved to be futile and fueled union movements. Union members would go on strike to force companies to meet their demands. Sometimes it would work and when it didn’t, companies would lock out employees and bring in new workers to do the job. These actions led to violent protests, riots, and arrests. The Pinkertons were hired as security by companies during these trying times. “Toward the end of the 19th century, the agency became more involved in labor disputes, always on the side of management” (Crawford). The Pinkertons were labeled as villains by workers as blood was shed during these conflicts.

Paradoxically, as many as 2.6 million people were unemployed during the 1930s, while at the same time 5.7 million radio licences were being issued by the BBC. Thus, much debate surrounds the true extent to which the effects of the Depression constitute to “depression, deprivation and decay”, which were undoubtedly present in 1930s’ Britain, as “unbroken” or, indeed, widespread. Traditionalists and Marxists, whose schools of thought dominated the immediate post-war era, label the 1930s as the ‘Devil’s Decade’. Revisionists, by contrast, counter that, despite powerful folk memory of such turbulent times, the 1930s was ‘a period of prosperity’. However, Consensus historian A.J.P Taylor suggests it is a case of determining “which was more important

Since the beginnings of industrialization in the United States, a struggle between the rights of individuals working in industry and manufacturing and the desire of the ownership of these endeavors to maximize profits has raged. As various eras in history passed, labor movements in the United States met with varying degrees of success. The fortunes of labor movements in the United States has ebbed and flowed along with other key factors in American society. In times when human rights and the rights of the individual were national priorities, the labor movement prospered, in times where businesses and profitability were the priority, the labor movement faltered.