The Role of Labor

1. The Role of Labor

2. Chapter 9 Section 3 Organized Labor in the United States

3. The Labor Movement’s Rise to Power • Early Developments • Earliest unions were local craft unions; in 1830s began federations • National Trades Union was first national federation • In 1869, Knights of Labor organized workers by industry; grows to become nationwide organization • In late 1800s, employers resisted workers’ efforts to organize • government often used violence to end strikes, such as Carnegie Steel and Pullman strikes

4. The Labor Movement’s Rise to Power • A New Model for Unions • Violence, controversial politics led to decline in union membership • 1886 Samuel Gompers founded American Federation of Labor—craft unions • at first focused on using economic power of workers • legal action against unions led to support of pro-union candidates • Other actions by International Ladies’ Garment Workers, Mother Jones

5. The Labor Movement’s Rise to Power • Unions Gain Power • During Great Depression membership declined as people lost jobs • Several New Deal laws helped workers and unions: • Norris-LaGuardia, National Labor Relations, Fair Labor Standards Acts • Congress of Industrial Organizations organized industrial unions • United Auto Workers, United Mine Workers became powerful in 1930s–1940s

6. The Labor Movement’s Rise to Power • Backlash Against Unions Following World War II • Post-World War II period of anti-union legislation • Taft-Hartley limited union activities, allowed government intervention • Fear of Communism led to more restrictions • Landrum-Griffin banned communist officers, required close accounting • AFL-CIO’s George Meany got rid of unions sympathetic to communist ideas

7. The Labor Movement’s Steady Decline • Loss of Reputation and Labor Force Changes • Unions looked bad: long strikes, featherbedding, organized crime ties • Lost members: economy shifted from manufacturing to service • Today, many contingent and contract workers who do not organize • Unions have now shifted efforts to service industries

8. The Labor Movement’s Steady Decline • Right-to-Work Laws • Closed shop—business had to hire only union members; now outlawed • maintained union standards for temporary workers • Union shop—business where workers had to join union within set period • allowed hiring of non-union workers without weakening union • Right-to-work laws—make it illegal to require workers to join unions

9. Union Negotiating Methods • KEY CONCEPTS • Collective bargaining—negotiation process of businesses and organized workers • establishes wages and working conditions • Unions can get better deal for workers than individual employees • unionized companies tend to pay higher wages

10. Union Negotiating Methods • Collective Bargaining • In past bargained for wages, conditions, benefits; today to stop cuts • Few strikes now since managers will replace workers, close plants • If agreement cannot be reached, mediator may be brought in • Next step: binding arbitration—decision made by impartial third party • Government may issue injunction forcing public safety workers back

11. Managing Change in Your Work Life • Background • The United States economy has shifted from manufacturing to service and knowledge-based industries. • Companies establish offices around the globe. Outsourcing and insourcing of jobs result in both benefits and challenges. • What’s the Issue? • How will you respond to the changing dynamics of the work environment?

12. Thinking Economically • What skills are you likely to need in order to manage change successfully in your work life? Use examples from the documents. • In documents A and B, are the types of change similar or different? Are their effects on workers positive or negative? Explain. • Compare the opportunities afforded by change in documents A and C. How are they similar? How are they different?

13. Question In 1981, a group of air traffic controllers, employees of the Federal Aviation Administration, went on strike. They wanted to reduce their workweek to 32 hours instead of the usual 40 because of the high stress of their jobs. President Ronald Reagan broke the strike and disbanded the union of air traffic controllers, claiming that they were striking illegally. About 100 workers were arrested, and all of them were banned for life from jobs in air traffic control. Did Reagan do the right thing by firing the striking workers? Explain your answer