Unions And The Rights Act

Labor Unions: Aging Dinosaur or Sleeping Giant? The Labor Movement and Unionism Background and Brief History Higher wages! Shorter workdays! Better working conditions! These famous words echoed throughout the United States beginning in “1790 with the skilled craftsmen” (Dessler, 1997, p. 544). For the last two-hundred years, workers of all trades have been fighting for their rights and “seeking methods of improving their living standards, working conditions, and job security” (Boone, 1996,p.287). As time went by, these individuals came to the conclusion that if they work together collectively, they would grow stronger to get responses to their demands. This inspired into what we know today as labor unions. “A labor union

Although the 19th century brought about many injunctions and antitrust laws prohibiting union activity, the early 20th century would bring hope to laborers and ultimately be known as the labor’s greatest strides toward unification and legal protection. One of the first examples of progress was during World War I. Due to so much unrest between the managers and laborers, a widespread of fear engulfed the United States. Most were afraid that a shutdown of the railroads was imminent which would create a threat to national security. In 1916, the government decided to intervene and take control of the railroads (Federal Possession and Control Act) in the event a strike was initiated. This action would allow soldiers to step in and replace any striking workers. This became one of the first legislation to construct some sort of union but ended in 1920 and the railroads were handed back to their owners

Unions do provide a lot of good services to its members, such as higher wages, better hours, more benefits, and safer working conditions. There is a price to pay for these services, though. Every union requires its members to pay dues, whether they are in the form of a percentage of each paycheck, or a flat rate. The money form dues goes towards lobbying politicians to pass union-friendly legislation, or better labor laws. The money also finances officers in the union organization, who are the ones calling the shots, as far as labor negotiations are concerned.

Labor unions are a gathering of people for a united cause. People within a labor union fight for common goals such as better pay and fair working conditions. In most cases when a union attacks a certain aspect it is so they can all acquire the same out come, such as raising the minimum wage to twelve dollars an hour for all. The primary reason unions were created was because workers weren’t always treated appropriately throughout history. Industrial leaders would make maximum profit by making their employees work twelve to fifteen hour workdays for seven days a week and they would only earn pennies for each hour of work. The conditions in which employees conducted work was unsafe and unhealthy yet no one could complain because they could not afford to lose their job. This is when labor unions were introduced, at first they started off small only pertaining to a specific geological area in regards to a specific craft such as shoe making in Philadelphia. The smaller unions are known as locals, an employee affiliated with the union is then appointed as a liaison between their fellow workers and the corporation making them the shop steward. However, people realized they held power in numbers and ultimately national unions were established such as the, Knights of Labor.

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.

Usually when unions show up on the door steps of an organization they are usually there to fight for the rights and better treatment of employees. Unions

Labor unions have been in America for a very long time. There are many unions in a myriad of different fields. Labor unions were and are used to allow for equal treatment of workers. Employers always want to maximize their profits and they try to give the least to get the most in return. For reasons such as this is why unions were formed. Generally a union boss is appointed or hired to protect the rights and privileges of the employees. The union boss is generally very representative of the demographics of the workers. The leader of the employees needs to know what they want and what is fair for them and this is why he tends to represent one type of work force, such as

A major topic that comes up with unions is getting better wages for the employees. This is one of the main reasons that unions came to be. Workers of all fields were tired of being paid unfairly by big companies. They realized that they needed a way to organize themselves to fight for better pay. Unions helped aid in this fight. According to History.com, “ The formation of the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers (shoemakers) in Philadelphia in 1794 marks the beginning of sustained trade union organization among American workers.” This was the first time workers tried to organize themselves to get more money for what they did. A key way that unions used workers to make businesses meet their demands was organized strikes. With these organized strikes, the big companies had to comply with some of the demands to raise the employee 's wage, or it would cost them more money in the long run. Strikes are a very powerful tool that unions have used often in the past. Unions orchestrated the strikes in the past pretty well, and the majority of strikes accomplished the goal they were trying to complete. Unions have always fought with companies to give the workers the pay they deserve.

Labor unions and movements play an important role in the United States. Although they are treated synonymously, the labor movements encompass a broader scope than labor unions. Some of the examples of current labor unions and movements include National Guestworker, Domestic Workers United and Wal-Mart workers groups. The heart of the current labor initiatives in the United States can be traced back to the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (Collier & Collier, 2002). The labor law was imperative since it was intended to put the power of the government behind the worker’s right to organize unions and bargain collectively with their employers on issues such as wages, hours and working conditions. In the last thirty years, labor unions have

Also, Workers don't usually engage with union politics. The labor movement is viewed as a subject of the Democratic Party and an advocate of liberal causes. And lastly, most citizens now turn to the government instead of unions, for basic protections. Civilians now rely on the government for healthcare, pensions, protection and many different varieties that were excluded from the unions. And, unless the unions find a way to change its decline, they run the danger of their membership falling into irrelevance. (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008)

Labor unions are formed in order to help workers protect his/ her rights as an employee and help the employees stand up for his/ her best interest in regards to his/ her employment with a company. Unions are mostly organized to help the employees and are beneficial to employees in many different ways. “Labor unions affect employees in a variety of different ways, but the most common and beneficial way is by providing members with a collective voice at work” (Zullo, 2011, p. 699). Unions are about the employees working together to get the best pay, benefits, and working conditions possible whether the employees have to just simply ask the management or if the employees have to go on strike before the management will consider the opinions and concerns of the employees. However, once one understands what a union is and how all the members work together to achieve the goal, one can comprehend the benefits and expectations of a unionized workforce and gain knowledge to help fully identify and recognize how unions affect the employees.

I would picture unions as more of a hierarchy. The president and other high ranking members control all union moves. Employees have very little say in the negotiating of labor contracts. After researching the subject we find that legislation such as the Free Choice Act offers a democratic structure for the formation and operation of unions. The Free Choice Act affects the extent that unions can still be shown to democratize authority relations at work, the case for stronger labor laws is supported (Godard & Frege, 2013).

From an ethical point of view, the debate over whether public employees have the right to strike centers on the political and philosophical differences between 'conservatives' and 'liberals' or progressives in American society. Classical liberals ('conservatives'), with their ethics based on the concepts of John Locke and Adam Smith, assert that the social contract between the people and the state protects the individual rights of life, liberty and property, but beyond that autonomous individuals should be left to pursue their own interests with minimal interference from the state of society. For this reason, they would deny the right of collective organizations like unions to control personal autonomy and free choice, and insist that all persons are ultimately egotistical and self-interested. On the other hand, 'liberals' (progressives and social democrats) would argue that human beings are basically social and cooperative rather than egotistical and competitive, and that they have the right to organize and bargain collectively to pursue their group or class interests. They favor a broader social contract that includes group rights, economic rights, protection of minorities and the welfare state, and believe that social justice and fairness requires labor unions to balance against the power of employers and their influence on the political process. Labor unions, including those in the public sector, are among the largest contributors to the Democratic Party while the

The relationship between unions and organization is a touchy one. Dating back to the start of unionization in the 19th century, the two bodies have held opposing viewpoints. Unionization was formed from the opinion that organizations took advantage of workers and some form of a negotiating agreement was needed. There were documented events of workers working long taxing hours for insignificant pay; no healthcare coverage; dangerous working conditions; and gender and or racial discrimination. Companies believed that unionization caused less productivity which endangered profits. Companies also believed that unions interfere in daily processes, and limits the employer’s say over compensation and benefits. The

It took many movements and a lot of hard work for unions to reach where they are today. They have won their rights through the strong number of people that are part of unions. The economy however is changing; it is no longer as it was in the 1900s. Corporations are finding techniques to overcome the power of unions, and to weaken union powers. This research paper will focus on methods that unions are adopting to respond to neoliberal globalization. It will address one of the biggest fear of workers: unemployment. The research paper will also focus on the declination of union density as the result of certain political moves and interests. By examining certain areas that are effecting the unions of our nations, we get to learn the relations between workers and management, the security in a workplace, the power of unions in today 's workplace in Canada, and the exploitation of workers in other countries due to cheap labour. I will firstly explain the term ‘globalization’ in its generic terms and then use Manfred Steger’s “Globalization” to explain economic significance. I will then discuss union density and renewal in Canada. I will lastly then focus on specific group of unions in Canada that have been responding to globalization.