Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Genesis of labor unions and industrial action
Labor unions in the past
Genesis of labor unions and industrial action
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
The Birth of the International Union of Elevator Constructors
The International Union of Elevator Constructors began inauspiciously on a hot summer day in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was July 15, 1901. Eleven men were gathered in a room at the Griswold Hotel. Brothers H. McLaughlin and E. Oliver came from New York, Brothers J.S. Holmes and John Lally from Chicago, F. W. Doyle from St. Louis, Walter McIntire and Frank F. Moxon from Boston, Brothers W. Young and J. Giberson from Philadelphia, and of course, Brothers George W. Porter and David G. Barnett from Pittsburgh. It did not take this small group long to come to an agreement. These men represented locals in their cities that, they decided, would benefit from a broader base of power and representation. There were other cities that had formed unions at this time but did not attend this meeting in Pittsburgh .
At the meeting in the Griswold Hotel, John Lally was appointed as temporary Secretary and was later elected 1st General Vice-President. Committees were formed to draft rules of order, by-laws, and a constitution. The representatives worked through the night and presented their work collectively in the morning. Everything was adopted, and the union's framework was in place. By lunch, the officers of the new union had been nominated, elected, and installed. The first President of the fledgling national union was F.W. Doyle of St. Louis. Election results made H. McLaughlin 2nd Vice-President, D.G. Barnett 3rd General Vice-President, Joseph Giberson 4th General Vice-President, and Walter McIntire 5th General Vice-President. William Young was elected General Secretary Treasurer.
They were unanimous in their resolve and solidarity. They knew what they wanted, and they created it together in record time. The same day, charters were applied for; a $5 charter fee was paid and six locals suddenly had been transformed into a national trade union. Quickly, they made application for charter and membership in the National Building Trades Council of the American Federation of Labor. It was a no nonsense beginning. The total expense of the convention was $13.90. After the collection of the charter fees, the newly formed National Union of Elevator Constructors went home with a treasury in the black of $16.10.
It had taken just three days to form an organization which would promote and protect the interests of thousands of elevator constructors across America then and now. The IUEC, like many of the building trades unions, came at the dawn of the modern technological revolution, which had as a first symbol, the "skyscraper:" But there could be no skyscrapers without elevators.
On July 13, 1900 Joseph Aschs’ new building plans in New York City are approved and by January 5, 1901 the building is complete. In 1906, the eighth floor of the Asch building is bought by the Triangle Shirtwaist Company who opens a factory there. Three years later, a letter is sent to the management of the Triangle Shirtwaist building from a fire prevention expert. He suggests they that a discussion about evaluating and enhancing safety measures. Unfortunately, management does not take the letter seriously and “the letter is ignored.” (Linder, “Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Trial”) The inhumane work conditions in the factory led to the decision of twenty-five ILGWU workers to declare strike against th...
Tensions between union supporters and management began mounting in the years preceding the strike. In April of 1994, the International Union led a three-week strike against major tracking companies in the freight hauling industry in attempts to stop management from creating $9 per hour part-time positions. This would only foreshadow battles to come between management and union. Later, in 1995, teamsters mounted an unprecedented national union campaign in attempts to defeat the labor-management “cooperation” scheme that UPS management tried to establish in order to weaken the union before contract talks (Witt, Wilson). This strike was distinguished from other strikes of recent years in that it was an offensive strike, not a defensive one. It was a struggle in which the union was prepared, fought over issues which it defined, and one which relied overwhelmingly on the efforts of the members themselves (http://www.igc.org/dbacon/Strikes/07ups.htm).
Melba begins her story talking about her early childhood and the prejudice she experienced in Little Rock, Arkansas. On May 17, 1954, when she was twelve, the Supreme Court ruled in the Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka Kansas case. This made it illegal to have separate schools for blacks and whites. Three years later, in 1957, Melba and eight other black students were assigned to Central High School, an all white school. On their first day of school, many angry whites formed a mob outside. Governor Faubus even put the National Guard in front of the school to prevent the students from entering. President Eisenhower then stepped in and assigned an officer from the 101st...
The case study of GMFC provides an example of a company attempting to avoid unionization of its workers. GMFC is expanding by building a new U.S. plant which will manufacture motorized recreational equipment. The company plans to hire about 500 production workers to assemble mechanical components, fabricate fiberglass body parts, and assemble the final products. In order to avoid the expected union campaign by the United Automobile Workers (UAW) to organize its workers, GMFC must implement specific strategies to keep the new plant union-free. GMFC’s planning committee offers suggestions with regards to the plant’s size, location, staffing, wages and benefits, and other employee relations issues in order to defend the company against the negative effects of unionization and increase...
All of these children had to be integrated into that high school for the good of the future. It was a huge part in the movement of segregation and all of them should be proud of what they did. Melba also did this voluntarily, not even telling her parents that she had signed up for the integration fearing that they would say no. She wanted to be just as equal as the whites and if sacrificing herself for the sake of the greater good was the way the way to go then Melba wasn’t going to let anyone stop her. They all knew what they were going into and did it for the greater good anyway. Their parents supported them all the way through expressing to them that change was
Throughout the American labor movement, there have been consistent interest groups involved with instituting unions and those advocating for their destruction. No labor movement has succeeded without battle between groups that desire control. The early 20th Century is no different--with the massive influx of immigrants and quick birth of the industrial revolution, the years 1900-1920 truly exemplified the conflict between workers and companies. This essay plans to detail the motives and tactics of four central groups fighting for control of worker’s rights by using the text Triangle: The Fire That Changed America by David von Drehle.
Melba began her story with her childhood in Little Rock, Arkansas. She lived with her mother, grandma, and brother in a strict and religious household. Her family had come to accept the fact that they would always be mistreated because of their color. In the South this mistreatment of blacks was seen as perfectly normal, but Melba saw things a little differently. As a young girl, she experienced first hand how awful it was to be segregated against and be constantly ridiculed simply because of her color. Unlike most people, though, she wanted to do something about it and prayed for an opportunity that would allow her to fight back and hopefully make a difference.
During the 1950s, African Americans struggled against racial segregation, trying to break down the race barrier. Fifteen year old Melba Patillo Beals was an ordinary girl, until she’s chosen with eight other students to integrate Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas. They are named the Little Rock and fight through the school year, while students and segregationists are threatening and harassing them. Warriors Don’t Cry—a memoir of Beals’ personal experience—should be taught in schools because it teaches students to treat each other equally and to be brave, while it also shows the struggle of being an African-American in the 1950s. Another lesson taught in the retelling is that everyone can make a change.
Union affiliation was first seen in the 1600’s when the roots of the United States were just being planted with skilled trade groups such as artisans, laborers, goldsmiths and printers. Over the next two hundred years, unions developed their desires for higher wages through the use of strikes and protests. The nation’s progress spurred the need for more labor and so began the Industrial Revolution. During the Revolution, many union members began to witness the power that employers had and as a result decided to make use of the concept of power in numbers. The National Labor Union formed in 1866 and worked to persuade congress to set a Federal eight-hour workday, which applied to government employees (Miller). Many large unions formed following in the NLU’s footsteps and uni...
Surrealism was considered a cultural movement of the time and started in the early 1920s. The aims of the Surrealists of this time seemed to follow day to day life and all they tried to show in their works were to target dream and reality. It targeted the inconsistent of the reality and dreams. They also aimed to target the element of surprise.
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.
The last bolt is screwed on as a relieved automotive worker marvels at his wondrous creation: a car. With the roar of an engine, the car slowly disappears into the distance. The worker gradually turns around, picks up his tools, and continues to work on a new car. As a consumer, we rarely wonder how things are made; we simply take everything we own for granted. For once, have you wondered how many hours of hard labor many automotive workers must go through? The automotive industry has been around for many years, but it has not always been as efficient as it currently is. As the industry continues to evolve, many new innovative ideas are still being developed. In the past, automotive workers have had to work in harsh conditions without much security or job benefits. Nevertheless, through the continuous development of organized collective bargaining, workers are being treated as they should be. Being the largest automobile manufacturer in the world, General Motors Corporation has been greatly affected by the needs of their workers. Rick Wagoner, CEO of General Motors, is currently in charge of “running the show” at GM. Being the most successful automotive company since 1931, it is obvious that he not only has to satisfy customers, but also the workers within the company. From the smallest things such as a work raise to bigger things such as the working condition, the management of General Motors has been pressured to make both positive and negative changes to the way the company is run as a whole in order to satisfy the workers who are part of the UAW Union. Therefore, the formation and development of unions encompasses both pros and cons.
In Warriors Don’t Cry I think Melba is a very strong Warrior. I say this because she could have not went to Central High and she could have backed out of it instead of going to all the trouble. Melba knew a lot of white people were going to disagree with integration, especially the kids at school. She knew they were going try to do anything to get rid of her and her friends. But she was prepared and ready for the kids who might or may taunt her and call her bad names and she knew if she prayed every night and asked God to keep her safe and be by her side so that she could get through this year and graduate. But when she went to Central High School, she knew that fighting with the other white people would not solve anything but she knew her
In the book Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals, the author describes what her reactions and feelings are to the racial hatred and discrimination she and eight other African-American teenagers received in Little Rock, Arkansas during the desegregation period in 1957. She tells the story of the nine students from the time she turned sixteen years old and began keeping a diary until her final days at Central High School in Little Rock. The story begins by Melba talking about the anger, hatred, and sadness that is brought up upon her first return to Central High for a reunion with her eight other classmates. As she walks through the halls and rooms of the old school, she recalls the horrible acts of violence that were committed by the white students against her and her friends.
Timeline. AFL-CIO American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations. 6 November 2004 .