Unionization In The Workplace Essay

The main reason of the rise of labor unions was the quick industrialization of the US economy. During the post-Civil War period, the US economy became extremely industrialized. This meant that more and more people were working in factories owned by large companies rather than working in small shops for themselves or for small businesses. In addition, large numbers of immigrants were coming to the US. They created a huge pool of labor that made labor prices go down and the quality of working conditions.

During the Progressive Era of the Gilded Age, many laborers were being mistreated by the companies that they worked for. Because of this, workers started forming labor unions or organized association of workers, formed to protect and further their rights and interests. Many of these labor unions failed, while few of them achieved their goals and still exist today. Many factors contributed to the failure of these labor unions. The labor unions were given a bad image, the reason for this was the media, and they did this by publishing articles depicting the unions as violent, communist groups. The government supported big business during this time, since the government had a lot of power; this was a huge setback in the labor unions’ battles.

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

The unions of yesterday have left the public feeling fearful of what might happen in the future. Will history repeat itself? Will employees be deceived through the mighty power of Labor Unions? Promoting benefits of unionized labor is one approach to regaining the trust of the public. Benefits include medical aid, heath insurance, worker compensation and overall respect of employees in the workplace. I feel with these measures taken Labor unions will once again reach the productivity that it once had pre-WWII.

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).

Unions in America today have grown smaller and smaller in the past 30 years. There are many reasons for this. The major one is that industries in other countries that are non-union have much cheaper labor costs, and therefore can offer products and materials at a much lower price than our US union-run, high wage cost factories. “During the 1970s and 1980s, a fifth of large unionized companies in the United States went bankrupt, unable to compete against companies with lower wage costs.” (Rachman, 308)

Also we are able to have our sphere of influence in China which I personally believe has helped their country develop better. Both of our economies benefit because we can buy their resources, which boosts their economy, and then we can sell those resources or transform them into goods, which boosts our economy. As you can see,

If unions are that beneficial to workers, why the increasing decline? Several reasons come into play. One issue being, there has been a rapid growth within particular categories, such as women. There are more women currently in the labor force, who are more prone to working sporadically and half the time compared to others. Secondly, there has been a decline in union’s actively engaging new members, as well as their being a steady increase in the employer’s unwillingness to take part in unionization attempts. Additionally, because society has shifted from unionized corporations with a manufacturing-based economy to a service-based economy has made it more difficult to unionize. Although, there have been uncontrollable and controllable forces that have led to the decreasing popularity of unions, they have still managed to make up for it in vital areas, such as wages, benefits, working conditions, and others. Whether or not individuals view labor unions as positive or negative organizations, they will always matter.

When I was asked to join the union and strike in order to get better pay and treatment I was a little worried of what would happen. If I did go on strike I wouldn’t get payed therefore I couldn’t buy food, clothing or anything that my children might would need. I didn’t know how long I would be on strike for, and I wouldn’t want my kids to miss out on anything they needed. It took me a little while to realize that if I do go on a strike it would be better for my family. At this time we needed all the money we could get we was starting to get behind with some hospital bills. So I took a step up to the plate and am now a part of the strike

As America became more industrial more people left their farms and small towns to work in the city so they could pay their expenses, whatever they may be. This led to the minimal pay of workers while the owners became wealthy leading to a functional economy. Most would receive little money while the rest lived a life of luxury. Since more factories were opening children, women, and immigrants could now find jobs, which led to more production which gave more money to the owners of the factories. Americans feared that industrialists were changing freemen into “wage slaves.” “By 1920, nearly 20 percent of all manufacturing workers were women, and 13 percent of all textile workers were younger than 16 years old. In 1900, it was estimated that

Is it in the workers’ best interest to unionize? As part of their retention and benefit plan, many companies offer stock options. Do stock option plans for unionized companies perform better than for non-unionized companies? This question will be answered by a study authored by representatives of Rutgers University and New York Institute of Technology. Do the proposed union rules by The National Labor Relations Board and the Department of Labor help workers and support job creation? Two major components of the proposed legislation are snap elections and the formation of micro unions. According to James Sherk of the Heritage Foundation, these measures would undermine employees’ rights and discourage job creation. Data from a Hearing before

The rise of capitalism as the dominant economic system in the United States made the rise of unions inevitable; given the natural division between those with capital that control the means of production, and labor, who is treated simply as another factor of production (Hodson & Sullivan, 2008). While labor unions have made significant improvements to the working environment, with the regulation of safety, environment, labor and wage; labor unions have also contributed to the decline of U.S. dominance in industries like steel, automotive, education and airlines. In today’s global economy, can labor unions continue to be a force for good in the United States, or have they become harmful institutions?

A labor union is an organization of employed workers that formed to undertake collective bargaining with employers and to try to achieve improved working conditions for its members.

Unions were started in 1935 allowing employees to seek improvements for their living and working conditions. Malinowski, Minkler, and Stock (2015) stated, “…with the signing into law of the National Labor Relations Act, workers gained the legal right to self-organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid and protection.” Unions help keep the workforce healthy and Malinowski et al. used a social-ecological framework to illustrate how unions addressed inequalities in the workforce and social determinants of health. There is a positive relationship between self-rated health and union membership, and income is one of the contributing factors. Union workers are receiving improved wages and benefits, and positively affecting nonunion workers as well. The article examines the effects of tobacco control, hypertension, and asthma in

It is a process in the sense that business groups, in its venture towards industrialization tend to constantly interact with various organizations such as the government, trade unions, economic organizations and also the members of the civil society – in fact, economy itself is embedded in civil society (Moran, 2006). Broadly speaking, we can identify two major actors or players who play important roles in the industrialization processes of the state – the Government and the business community. We call them organizations as they are characterized by recognized principles of sovereignty, exclusiveness and command structures of their own (Leftwich, 2006). Nevertheless, they are controlled in their activities by the institutional framework, consisting of rules, norms and conviction, within which they are expected to operate. It is against this background that it becomes highly essential to understand the nature and status of industrial development in the state of Andhra Pradesh with respect to the state’s policy incentives or disincentives. Further, we intend to concentrate on the role of the government in Karnataka, in initiating the processes of reinventing the industrial sector in general and the manufacturing sector in particular. The policy of re industrialization and re-emphasis on manufacturing assumed importance as the probable response to certain critical conditions – such