What would Gompers and Haywood think of the NLRA?
The National Labor Relations Act was proposed by the Democratic Senator Robert F. Wagner of New York in 1933 and enacted by Congress on July 5, 1935. The National Labor Relations Act (according to U-S-History.com “National Labor Relations Act”) “required employers to acknowledge labor unions that were favored by a majority of their work forces.” Essentially, the National Labor Relations Act established collective bargaining rights for employees, however there were certain limitations and regulations required. Viewed by some as the “Magna Carta of American labor”, others believe the implementation of this law may have been pushed along “to help stave off…potentially revolutionary…labor unrest” (“National Labor Relations Act”). Both Samuel Gompers and Bill Haywood are important figures in the labor movement, but I believe that they would have opposing viewpoints on the NLRA.
Samuel Gompers (according to “Samuel Gompers” from U-S-History.com) was the son of poor Jewish immigrants from Holland to England and followed his father’s profession of cigar making. He became active in the trade and was the first registered member of the Cigarmarker’s International Union in 1864. He worked his way up the union ladder, being elected president of his union’s local 144 in NYC in 1864 and later elected president of the American Federation of Labor from 1886 until his death in 1924. He was politically conservative and shied away from anything socialist, as he “accepted capitalism as the natural method of organizing production” (“Samuel Gompers”, U-S-History.com). I believe that Samuel Gompers would have tentatively supported this bill because although he worked more towards economic reform than ...
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In 1921 Lewis was denied the presidency of the American Federation of Labor when Samuel Gompers was elected over him. During the following year, he would disagree with labor activist, Jones, over whether or not to set a date for the Kansas coal workers to strike against the “Industrial Slave Law”, which was intended to stop coal labors from striking. The UMWA fell from 500,000 to less than 100,000 in the 1930s, due to growing numbers of unemployment. In 1935, the Congress for Industrial Organization was form when Lewis and several other unions joined together. Lewis then became president...
Between 1875 and 1891, wages rose from 169.2 to 172.5 and hours declined from 9.9 to 9.4 per day, indicating that the usage of unions attracted the attention of the heads of industry and caused for less work time and better compensation overall (DOC A). Peaceful labor forces, such as the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1886 by Samuel Gompers, demonstrated a different approach to the battle for better work conditions. Rather than violent riots, Gompers and other members of the group instead seeked to
To conclude this analysis on the basis of the labor’s extensive history, Sloane & Witney (2010) propose, “it is entirely possible that labor’s remarkable staying power has been because of the simple fact that to many workers, from the nineteenth century to the present, there really has been no acceptable substitute for collective bargaining as a means of maintaining and improving employment conditions” (p.80). In the end, it is important to anticipate unions and employers presently work together to find solutions that will enhance collective bargaining strategies and practices to serve the interest of both parties.
Companies and factories were expanding and women and children were able to join the workforce. The Knights of Labor, led by Powderly, attracted both skilled and unskilled workers. They participated in many of the major events due to the Knights of Labor such as the Haymarket Riot and the great railroad strike. Another big labor union was the American Federation of Labor (AFof L), led by Samuel Gompers. While the Knights of Labor allowed skilled and unskilled workers, the American Federation of Labor only allowed skilled workers. Gompers argued and demanded for “a reduction of the hours of labor” and for better wages (Doc 6). Many laborers joined these labor unions to fight against the big
Labor leader and advocate of legislative labor reform, Samuel Gompers was globally recognized for being a cornerstone in the sustaining legacy that is the American Federation of Labor. Gompers was born to a Jewish working class couple in London on the 27th of January in 1850. His childhood was short lived, for he was forced to mature early on. After only four years of receiving an elementary school education, Gompers was taken in and apprenticed to a shoemaker at the age of ten. He would quickly switch off trades and become apprenticed to a cigar maker in the east end of London; Gompers would continue with the cigar trade for a quarter of a century.
The Wagner Act was passed by senate in May of 1935, passed by the White House in June and officially made a law by President Roosevelt signing on July 5th 1935. The Wagner act affected trade, traffic and transportation workers. It enabled for a set of rules and regulations to be enforced between employer and employee to serve for better treatment of employees. Originally the government embodied hands off approach when it came to disputes between employer and employee only stepping in to mediate, but not fix. Yet under the signature of Roosevelt and the idea of Senator Wagner that all changed. Under the Wagner Act workers were allowed to create unions and obtain a voice in the workplace through protests. Employers were not allowed to interfere with the workers protests or formed unions. Under the Wagner Act employees were prohibited from mistreatment of workers i.e. overworking, underpaying, working in unsafe conditioned etc. They were also not allowed to be discriminatory toward employees who felt the need to file charges or testify against the employer. Under the Wagner Act employers were not allowed to try and restrain employees from their rights as well as persuade or interfere with them. Lastly The Wagner Act prohibited employers from refusing or unfairly collaborating or bargaining between the employer and the employee’s representative. The Wagner Act was a major step stone in establishing labor laws and fair treatment for workers and unions who often received little benefits or fair treatment, no protection or exploitation from employers in the form of interrogation, discipline, discharge, and blacklisted. Workers benefitted because they got better treatment and were more willing to work. The economy would also be more stabl...
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.
The rise of industrialization and laissez faire were key constituents in the rise of labor unions; businesses were given more breathing room and had more influence in the economics than the government. Citizens were feuding the need to obtain better working hours, reasonable wages, and safer working conditions; this was mainly prompted by industrialization. The three most prominent labor unions in this time period were the American Railway labor(1890s), Knights of Labor (mid-1880s) and the National Labor Union (1866); they pushed forward forward
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...
...gress was made rubber stamp and FDR’s policies went through undisputed. Therefore, many of FDR’s “socialist” policies ended up becoming implemented. The judiciary reacted and shut down both NIRA and the AAA because they not only proved impractical, but also tried to greatly expand the role of the government.
The FLSA began on a Saturday, June 25, 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed 121 bills, one of them being the landmark law in the Nation's social and economic development the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 ( Grossman, 1978). This law did not come easy, wage-hour and child-labor laws had made their way to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1918 in Hammer v. Dagenhart in which the Court by one vote held unconstitutional a Federal child-labor law. Similarly in Adkins v. Children's Hospital in 1923, the Court voided the District of Columbia law that set minimum wages for women, during the 1930's the Court's action on other social legislation was even more devastating (Grossman, 1978). Then came the New Deal Promise in 1933, President Roosevelt's idea of suspending antitrust laws so that industries could enforce fair-traded codes resulting in less competition and higher wages; It was known as the National Industrial Recovery Act (NRA) ( Grossman, 1978). The President set out "to raise wages, create employment, and thus restore business," the Nation's employers signed more than 2.
It has been said that the union work is one struggle after another, but union work also is the most rewarding legacy we can leave our children.
Montgomery, David. The Fall of the House of Labor: The Workplace, the State, and American Labor Activism, 1865-1925. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1987.
Among many other new acts to help give recovery to the economy, the NIRA was born. The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) was created by Roosevelt to see to the needs of industry, trade unions, and even the consumer, promoting cooperation among corporations while also establishing codes for fair competition between industries. Most importantly, the purpose of the NIRA was the put people back to work and fight the Great Depression. As Roosevelt saw it, the NIRA helped everyone involved in a business right down to the consumer. With this, he set men to work to set his plan into motion and to get it down on paper. With several men working on the project, there were bound to be slightly different ideas about how the act should work, so two separate groups of administration officials came up with two different drafts for the act. Roosevelt put the two groups together to work on one proposal that shared the ideas of both side and by May 15th, the bill was ready to be seen by Congress (Industrial Recovery: Reviving the Heart of America). After the Senate made its decision, the NIRA was signed on June 16th, 1933 and was split into two parts.
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...