According to Fergerson, (2012) unions are typically based on the idea that the sum of a group is greater and stronger than an individual hence workers come together with the aim of making collective decisions concerning their jobs as well as their working conditions. The result of which yields great benefits that the workers enjoy such a minimum wage, healthcare, overtime, workplace safety among others. It also goes without saying that members of unions do receive better benefits and even higher pays as compared to non-unionized workers. The apparent diversification of union in the United States is mainly aimed at consolidating their position as well as the revitalization of their work. The argument is diversification clearly, strengthens the jurisdiction of the unions allowing them to have a greater effect on the workers they represent as they seek for better-working conditions. Most unions have changed their tactics and strategies in a bid to fight off the challenges they face in terms of survival and legitimacy. With it also comes the …show more content…
These conglomerate type of unions do have a lot of strength as they are revitalized in the manner in which they handle the wellbeing of the workers they represent. Union jurisdiction is the main topic when it comes to diversification as it is effective to represent all workers under one umbrella body rather than have a number of organizations that would make it difficult to have coordination among the unions. Furthermore, the strength that is brought by the diversification is guaranteed by the fact that the union would simply conduct categorization of job groups in order to simplify the evaluation and comparison that would eventually lead to the betterment of the worker 's welfare in the long
Unions are organizations that negotiate with corporations, businesses and other organizations on behalf of union members. There are trade unions, which represent workers who do a particular type of job, and industrial unions, which represent workers in a particular industry. The American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is a trade union, while the United Auto Workers (UAW) is an industrial union.
Unions are voluntary associations joined by workers. The Combination Act of 1800, which hindered the growth of unions, states that every workman's goal, who are entering into any combination should not be obtaining an advance of wages, or to lessen or alter the hours, or influencing any other to quit his work. Any workman who did so shall be committed to jail (Doc 1). Although the Combination Act of 1800 prevented the growth of unions, Ralph Chaplin believes that a worker should join the union. He states that there can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun, but the unions, which makes it strong (Doc 2). Since there's so many workers working in bad conditions, the labor laws came to action.
Throughout the history of the United States of America the continuation of misfortunes for the workforce has aggravated people to their apex, eventually leading to the development of labor unions.
Unionism is the concept that traditionally business, especially big businesses are inherently going to exploit their employees. Therefore, in order to protect themselves, the workers form organizations called unions, in which all laborers who work at a certain craft, or in a certain industry band together. By this process of “joining forces”, the unions gain power in numbers. Unions traditionally try to protect employee interests by negotiating with employers for wages and benefits, working hours, and better working conditions.
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...
History shows that there has been conflict of power within the workforce between union and management. This essay will discuss if management should have the right to determine whether a union should operate within their workplace. It is necessary first to discuss the roles of unions and management in the workplace and discuss both points of view on the power distribution between unions and management in the workplace.
The history of capitalism is replete with examples of the need for labor unions, however in industries where labor unions were powerful, they helped to cause the decline of U.S. dominance. While there may be a case for the continued existence of labor unions, measures should be taken to limit the power of labor unions in any single industry , to prevent them from becoming institutions that are harmful to the workers they seek to defend.
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).
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 the teachers union. This type of representation is made easier when most of the workers come from the same background. Background meaning family size, education, race, etc. Labor unions have helped shape the American work force, as have the backgrounds of the men and women who have worked in them. America was founded on diversity and the freedom to choose. Many different backgrounds have found their way into America and labor unions. As stated earlier, labor unions have people of the same background in them. America’s first settlers were generally of the same background and because of that, so were the members of the first labor unions. As the United States expanded so did the work force and the diversity in it. Diversity and understanding the challenges and benefits is what enables America to be great. In the pages of this paper we are going to look at the change in the make-up of labor unions by the entrance of African-Americans and how they have influenced America and the labor unions for the better. This paper is and expansions on my paper “A Shield Against the Power of Industrial Capitalism”.
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).
Labor Unions have had an effect of American history as well as world-wide history from the time they became popular. Following WWII Americans were predominantly pro-labor, however, as time went on union’s credibility fell short of perfect. Union strikes proved to be bothersome to both the general public and company. Unions were also suppressing to employees through fraud and lack of worker rights (in earlier years, before Acts were passed). Although Union labor had its shortcomings, this type of labor is noted to be the most productive and economically beneficial. With both sides shown, I feel Unions will again thrive in the future with a few key adjustments made.
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.
From the employees perspective there are many benefits as well as cons which are encompassed in the act of joining a union and maintaining such a relationship. The first of the benefits includes a somewhat increased amount of job security. In the case of a slip up, or an instance in which you may be dismissed or receive discipline, the union you are a party to will have the last say in whether this action is fair to you. This may protect you from unreasonable managers or some types of discrimination (Saez). However many types of discrimination is also covered by anti-discrimination statutes. One of the most commonly given reasons for being part of a union is the appeal of having a common bond between employees (Reader). Unions also promote a healthy, safe and friendly work environment. However this benefit is minor and redundant as much of OSHA covers this as well. Additionally, unions will bargain a contract for its members, which will generally be based upon the way that the union perceives the needs of its members (Saez). The problem with this is that it is extremely difficult for the union’s perception an employee’s individual needs to be accurate due to the union’s tendency to only. Among the items negotiated, wage is one of the most important. However minimal wage incre...