The formation of unions has been around since the early 20th Century with the boom of the
Industrial industry. Unions were formed with the simple idea that working conditions should be
Tolerable and fair for the workers. In the next several pages, you will find the pros and the cons
of being a member of a union. You will also find out the pros and cons of being the employer of
union. Lastly you will hear my perspective of unions as if I were an actual employee.
In 1920, the only reason one joined a union is because they worked for you to ensure you got
your proper hourly wage according to the law. Unions reduced wage inequality because they
raised wages more for low- and middle-wage workers. They made sure you had acceptable
working conditions. The unions of that time did more for labor relations of today and they
would have very benefited from. Those unions created better working conditions for not only
union, but non union members with FLSA, OSHA, FMLA, the minimum wage act to name a few.
The unions of today, unsure that their members get the entitled breaks during their working
shift. Unions also guarantee higher wages, signing bonuses at contract time and hefty payouts
for profit sharing each year that the company did well in earnings. Members also receive
generous health plans and better pension plans as well as increased the number of benefits for
paid time off, sick time and personal and family time. Unions of today also give members
greater job security. Here in Illinois, we are “At-Will Employees”, which means that the
employee or the company can terminate the employment at any time without cause. The
union would make sure that a fair process was completed before emplo...
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... cost and companies continue to cut headcount and increase the responsibilities.
The union could at the very least guarantee that you getting benefits and decent living wage. I
think that those that want more than just a salary to maintain their current lifestyle will need to
seek a non-union profession and organization. Most of those that are in a union, more than
likely do not want to be in it and were part of the union as a stipulation of employment. I have
not met those that are overly ambitious that want to change the world and waves. The current
members want to keep what they have and continue to work.
References
www.efca.org
www.nlrb.org
www.gopinoy.com/advice/laborunions
www.thefreesource.com/laborunions
Interview with Patrick R. Coe (husband), UAW Local 551 member 2000-current, contract expires June 30, 2012 with Ford Motor Company
They concentrated on higher wages, shorter hours, and personal issues of workers. The American Federation of Labor’s main weapon was walkouts and boycotts to get industries to succeed to better conditions and higher wages. By the early 1900’s, its membership was up to ½ million workers. Through the years since The Great Depression, labor unions were responsible for several benefits for employees. Workers have safer conditions, higher paying jobs to choose from, and better benefits negotiated for them by their collective bargaining unit.
The Industrial Revolution that took place after the Civil War made for a more economically sound country. American workers, however, were becoming more and more dependent upon their wages; a fear of unemployment also stemmed from this. Workers didn’t share in the benefits that their employers reaped. In a chart representing the hours and wages of industrial workers, from 1875 to 1891, it shows that even though their wages were subtly increasing, their 10-hour work day remained the same (Doc. A). Factories were headed by large corporations; this, in turn, meant that new machines lessened the amount of workers in certain fields. As a result of these unsuitable conditions, labor unions were formed. The challenges that these unions faced weren’t easy. If the workers involved in organized labor got too far out of line, these corporations could get federal authorities involved. Moreover, these companies could enforce “ironclad oaths” upon their employees. In a Western Union Telegraph Company employee contract, in 1883, it states that the employee will not be affiliated with any societies or organizations (Doc. E). Despite such setbacks, by 1872 there were over 32 national unions.
Wallerstein, M. & Western, B. 2000. Unions in Decline? What Has Changed and Why? Annual Review of Political Science. 3: 355-377.
Unions have an extensive history of standing up for workers. They have advocated rights of steelworkers, coal miners, clothing factory employees, teachers, health care workers, and many others. The labor movement is based on the idea that organized workers as a group have more power than individuals would have on their own. The key purpose of any union is to negotiate contracts, making sure workers are respected and fairly compensated for their work. “In theory” unions are democratic organizations, resulting in varying inner authority. Workers look for security within a job a...
As factory operators pushed their employees to work longer and harder in order to increase profits, unions were formed. An example of this would be the fraternal organizat...
Unions have always been a pain in employers’ sides. From today to the 1910s, workers have tried to unionize for better conditions in their jobs. Today, people try to opt out of being in unions, avoiding the union’s dues but still reaping the rewards. That’s a long way away from what people experienced in the 1910s. During that time period, people were struggling to even be apart of a union. Some people would even risk their jobs to do it. In fact, the first worker’s strike was was during the the West Virginia Coal Wars. Coal Miners went on strike to advocate for better working conditions and better pay. At the helm was Mary Harris Jones, or Mother Jones as she was known. She fought for coal miner workers’ rights and helped them unionize by
Beginning in the late 1700’s and growing rapidly even today, labor unions form the backbone for the American workforce and continue to fight for the common interests of workers around the country. As we look at the history of these unions, we see powerful individuals such as Terrence Powderly, Samuel Gompers, and Eugene Debs rise up as leaders in a newfound movement that protected the rights of the common worker and ensured better wages, more reasonable hours, and safer working conditions for those people (History). The rise of these labor unions also warranted new legislation that would protect against child labor in factories and give health benefits to workers who were either retired or injured, but everyone was not on board with the idea of foundations working to protect the interests of the common worker. Conflict with their industries lead to many strikes across the country in the coal, steel, and railroad industries, and several of these would ultimately end up leading to bloodshed. However, the existence of labor unions in the United States and their influence on their respective industries still resonates today, and many of our modern ideals that we have today carry over from what these labor unions fought for during through the Industrial Revolution.
Factories were known for their ill treatment of their employees, long hours and dirty and unsafe conditions. In 1866, unions started to form to improve working conditions for the workers. A fundamental problem faced by democratic societies is as long as people live their lives individually and go their separate ways and be selfish individuals, they are unlikely to meet collectively to resolve issues. There needs to be meaningful unity among people to alleviate this problem to get people obliged to one another, so there is a willingness to sacrifice for shared goals. Bonding of its citizens creates a democracy. Unions seemed to offer the middle class a chance to become a crucial part of fostering institutions of constitutional democracy. The unions have went through several transitions, but have always worked for the working force. I will discuss the history of the various unions, their wins and losses, and the struggle of the employee to achieve democracy in the workplace.
Labor Unions were created to help people improve their wages, work conditions, hours, and security. Unions impacted the world in a lot of ways and for that we have better lives now, for what they did in the past.” Some key freedoms that we take for granted today- the weekend, for example- were won by labor unions efforts, but we have always been lukewarm about the movement” (History of Labor Unions).
Fletcher says that when unions and politics come together, people especially interpret unions’ missions and their power critically. He does not expand on how he titles the myth, but skims the surface on union consensus regarding politics. The myth is about the belief that “unions should stay out of politics and focus on what’s happening in the workplace” (Fletcher 65).
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).
With WWII on the horizon in the early 1940’s, Americans knew they must produce goods for the cause. Production was greatly needed and worker’s shoes needed to be filled. Labor Unions stepped up and proved to be extremely productive and fruitful. Although productivity was high, Union strikes began to brake out. Labor Union employees felt suppressed under the growing power of the unions and work stoppages were at an all time high in 1944. Acts such as the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 and Landrum-Griffin Act of 1959 were passed to protect Union workers, however the corrupt unions had left employees feeling used and disrespected. The abusive reputation of unions still stands today as the public and employees find it hard to trust such massive corporations with dishonest pasts.
Labor unions were established as a way for workers’ needs and grievances to be heard by management. According to Fossum (2012), “forming a union creates a collective voice to influence change at work” (p. 7). The collective voice of workers in a union holds much more power than any single employee’s voice. It can loudly draw attention to mistreatment or abuse of workers. The organized collective voice of workers demands to be treated in a fair way by its management in terms of wages, hours, benefits, and working conditions.
The disadvantages of union membership are viewed from the employee and employer perspective. Through the employee lens, the disadvantages manifest in the form of fees, loss of autonomy, and less collaborative work environment. As part of the union, you surrender many of your individual rights in exchange for the organized results that can potentially manifest through the collective bargaining process. Therefore, there isn’t any assurance that your individual concern will even be addressed.
Providing employees the right to select a union to act as their collective bargaining agent.