Labor Union History - Report Example

Running Head: Labor Union History Labor Union History of Labor Union History Labor unions areassociations of workers that strive to improve the economic and working conditions of workers. They use contract negotiations called collective bargaining to negotiate over wages and working conditions. Workers in several industries in the United States are represented by labor unions. They are the legal representatives of workers. These representatives bargain over worker conditions and wages if the management of industries violates these provisions. They remain active politically by mobilizing their members and coalitions with other groups. Labor unions became prominent in the aftermath of the Civil War. The National Labor Union was the first US union. Another famous labor union was the American Federation of Labor which was established in the late nineteenth century. It acted as a federation for skilled workers unions. In 1905 the Industrial Workers of the World was formed to represent unskilled workers. There are two umbrella organizations for unions. One of them is AFL-CIO and the Change to Win Federation. They have advocated policies that are beneficial for workers. They also have played an important role in increasing the working conditions of workers. This paper traces the history of American labor unions from World War II till the present era (Vittoz, 45). The Congress of Industrial Organizations was established by an autocratic person John Lewis. The CIO organized millions of workers in the 1930s. Lewis was a charismatic speaker and strategist whose speeches forced the closure of the coal industry to ensure that his demands were met. Lewis supported President Roosevelt at the onset of the New Deal. Roosevelt had tremendous appeal with workers. Lewis sent organizers to mobilize thousands of workers to support President Roosevelt. He was one of the main financial supporters of Roosevelt. It is estimated that he contributed over five hundred thousand dollars to Roosevelt's election campaign (Zieger, 65). Lewis organized trade unions in the United States steel industry which were termed as "captive mines". The steel industry had fiercely defeated attempts to organize unions in the early twentieth century. By organizing steelworkers, Lewis clashed with the AFL. The AFL represented workers from all industries rather than a particular trade (Zieger, 85). Lewis pushed for a change in the policy of the AFL with regards to industrial organizing. He did this by calling upon leaders of other unions within the AFL. William Green who was the president of AFL opposed Lewis and considered him as an enemy. The CIO was now known as the Congress of Industrial Organizations. Lewis firmly established the organization as a rival federation opposed to the AFL. Lewis's organization provided the financial muscle to the CIO as they organized drives to recruit workers and form trade unions. Phillip Murray was the protg of Lewis. He was made the head of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee. The UAW conducted the Flint and Chrysler sit-down strikes in the 1930s in which Lewis successfully used negotiations to approve worker demands. The CIO had a total strength of 2,850,000 workers in 1942. The economic depression of the 1930s caused a decline in the labor union membership. The union movement was also marked by failures to obtain concessions from the mass production industries and to organize the workers. However during the 1930s, the US congress passed legislation during the New Deal. Collective bargaining was allowed by the passing of the National Industrial Recovery Act in 1933. Businesses were also required to maintain good relations with trade unions under the 1935 Wagner Act. Prices and wages were stabilized by the National Recovery Administration. A number of regulations were imposed that set price and production standards for all kinds of goods. However this had an adverse impact on the labor unions since employers had to hire people at an expensive rate. The result was that unemployment and economic depression was prolonged. The law allowed the right of labor to organize as unions and to restrict unfair practices by employers (Collins, 280). The New Deal which was launched by President Theodore Roosevelt in response to the economic crisis and depression of the 1930s had a long lasting impact on the labor movement. A bill of rights for organized labor was launched by the Roosevelt administration. The National Labor Relations Act was established in 1935 which offered government protection for workers. The act gave workers the right to organize, join and assist labor organizations. It also allowed them to collectively bargain by their own representatives. They could also engage in activities which protected their rights. The National Labor Relations Board further prevented employers from employing unfair practices that were harmful for workers. Employers could not use coercion or intimidation to prevent employees from organizing and joining labor unions. The New Deal provided legislation which was favorable to the trade unions. They could now organize themselves without the fear of intimidation or coercion by industries. They had the right to use collective bargaining. It also improved the wages and working conditions. The most positive effect of the New Deal was that the Federal government had now enacted legislation which was favorable to the workers. The AFL and CIO carried out nationwide campaigns to organize, recruit and mobilize workers. The number of organized workers had risen to 15 million by the late 1940s (Ballam, 45). There was an upsurge in trade union activity during World War II. The AFL and CIO had supported Roosevelt in the US presidential election of 1940. Lewis was however opposed to the foreign policy of Roosevelt. The UMWA was taken out of the CIO. The organization became part of the AFL. Labor unions strongly supported the US government in the war effort. They had a policy of not resorting to strikes in order to support the war production. Lewis however led a twelve day strike to increase wages. The public reaction towards Lewis was hostile and many people thought that he was harmful for the country's security. The conservative coalition in Congress passed the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 which was designed to curb trade union activity. The United Auto Workers Union was formed in the aftermath of the successful Flint sit-down strike of the 1930s. Walter Reuther became president of the UAW. He was instrumental in the ouster of communists. He was an energetic leader who used brilliant negotiating tactics to achieve better wages and benefits for his workers (Galenson, 65). There was much opposition and reaction against the growth of the trade unions under the legislation of the New Deal. Westbrook Pegler, a newspaper columnist considered the trade unions to be corrupt. Pegler exposed racketeering in unions and focusing on criminals like William Morris Bioff. During the 1950s the infiltration of racketeers was a serious problem for the AFL-CIO. They adopted ethical practices which were designed to eliminate racketeers and other unethical union leaders. A committee was established to enforce these practices. David Dubinsky was appointed as the head of the committee. In 1957 the US Senate created the Select Committee on Labor and Management Practices to investigate labor racketeering. Widespread corruption was found in many trade unions. The Teamsters Union was one such trade union. The Senate Committee's investigations ultimately bred public hostility towards trade unions. It also created support for passing laws which would audit trade unions (Galenson, 65). The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 reversed many of the favorable laws that had been passed under the Wagner Act. There were restrictions on unions and management. The act was in response to public demands for action against trade unions that had damaged the economy. President Truman opposed the passing of the act, but Congress eventually passed the act in 1947. The Taft-Hartley Act prohibited jurisdictional strikes, secondary boycotts, picketing and other practices which were considered illegal by the US government. Closed shops were also outlawed by the act. Union shops were permitted but on the condition that they were part of collective bargaining agreement. US trade unions achieved their greatest post war victory in 1955. The automobile industry accepted a wage plan demanded by trade unions. The wage plan called increased wage payments during periods of unemployment for workers. The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations were formed by a merger of the AFL and CIO in 1955. This was done to achieve unity in a political climate which was not favorable for the trade union. The first president of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations was George Meany. Despite an unfavorable atmosphere, the trade unions made substantial gains in membership. They also many won many benefits from the United States government and industries. Union wage rates were also higher in the late 1950s than those paid to non union labor. They also succeeded in shortening the workday. The collective bargaining agreements had succeeded in granting workers the right of working for 40 hours per week. These bargain agreements also helped in providing fringe benefits for workers. In 1958 the proposal to amend state constitutions to pass right-to-work laws was defeated in several American states. The Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act were passed in 1959 which allowed union members to conduct union meetings and protected free speech. It also provided labor organizations to provide detailed financial reports (Goldberg, 75). The civil rights movement of the 1960s also affected organized labor. There were allegations that the AFL-CIO did not give membership to blacks and prevented them from working in better jobs. Railway workers in Chicago also alleged that the AFL-CIO was not looking after their interests and that it was dominated by white workers (Goldberg, 75). The 1960s and 1970s was a time period of improved working conditions for migrants. The United Farm Workers organized migrant farm workers in the 1960s. The UFW was instrumental in an agreement between wine grape growers and workers to improve working conditions. Cesar Chavez was a prominent figure of the UFW. He successfully organized several campaigns, boycotts and strikes to protect migrant farmer worker interests (Leiter, 125). The 1980s saw a decline in union membership. Lane Kirkland became president of the AFL-CIO in the 1979. The total membership of the AFL-CIO was 14.1 million members and 89 affiliated unions in the 1980s. John Sweeney became president of the AFL-CIO in the 1990s. Many American trade unions experienced a decline in membership of workers. Non manufacturing unions registered great growth in membership. Public employees formed the fastest growing unions in the 1990s. By 2006 at least 36 percent of government workers were union members. Wages and job security have been the main concern of government workers in recent years (Mort, 225). American workers enjoyed a highest wages in decades. However there were many problems for trade unions. The relocation of factories in Southern states was one of the reasons of the decline in membership of unions. These states had right to work laws which restricted union organization. The North American Free Trade Agreement has also been blamed for the loss of domestic jobs. There has also been a disinterest in unions by young workers. The antiunion stance of the Republican Party has also led to a decline in union membership. Works Cited Arthur J. Goldberg; AFL-CIO, Labor United (1956) Ballam, Deborah A. "The Impact of the National Labor Relations Act on the U.S. Labor Movement" American Business Law Journal, Vol. 32, 1995 Galenson, Walter; The American Labor Movement, 1955-1995 (1996) Jo-Ann Mort (Ed), Not Your Father's Union Movement: Inside the AFL-CIO" (2002) Leiter, Robert D. The Teamsters Union: A Study of Its Economic Impact (1957) Vittoz, Stanley. New Deal Labor Policy and the American Industrial Economy (1987) William J. Collins, "Race, Roosevelt, and Wartime Production: Fair Employment in World War II Labor Markets," American Economic Review 91:1 (March 2001), pp. 272-286 Zieger, Robert H. The CIO, 1935-1955 (1995) Read More