new deal

Question 1

why did unions become more powerful

Answer 1

more members

Question 2

examples of unions becoming recognised

Answer 2

• steel workers organising committee recognised by IS steel 1937
• united automobile union recognised following sit-in strike 1936

Question 3

example of women benefitting from shift to unionization

Answer 3

800,000 women belonged to unions by end of 1930s = threefold increase from 1929

Question 4

what TU was formed by john lewis in 1937

Answer 4

congress of industrial organisations (CIO)

Question 5

describe congress of industrial organisations (CIO)

Answer 5

• organised/gathered 3.7 million members = included AA/immigrants (sought to implement racial equality in TUs & advance solidarity)
• became militant & organised sit-ins
• effective tactic in gaining union recognition from car manufacturers

Question 6

how many members did congress of industrial organisations (CIO) have by 1941

Answer 6

more than 3.7 million

Question 7

fair labour standards act

Answer 7

= 1938

• workers gained weekly wage minimum wage of $25
• children under 16 forbidden to work
• union membership continued increasing up to WW2
• position/working conditions of workers had noticeably improved

Question 8

industrial recovery act

Answer 8

= 1933

• encouraged firms to agree to codes of practice which dealt with improving hours, wage rates & union rights
• workers allowed to organise unions by law
• unions could take part in collective bargaining
• 557 codes been agreed by employers covering 23 million workers by 1934

Question 9

limitations of industrial recovery act 1933

Answer 9

• not all employers signed codes (eg. henry ford)
• declared unconstitutional by SC in 1935

Question 10

wagner act (national labour relations act)

Answer 10

= 1935

• established national labour relations board = negotiate on behalf of workers, prevented employers setting up/using own unions & investigated accusations of unfair labour practices/reached judgement
• workers given rights to elect own representatives to undertake collective bargaining
• workers given right to join unions & practice of employers using spies against unions banned
• SC upheld constitutionality in 1937 jones & laughlin steel corp v. NLRB

Question 11

result of wagner act (national labour relations act) 1935

Answer 11

• union membership grew 3.7 million (1933) to 9 million (1938)
• led to fair labour standards act 1938

Question 12

which workers didn’t benefit from new deal

Answer 12

• unskilled workers rejected by many unions = no representation (CIO formed as a result)
• ethnic minorities (eg. AA, hispanics, mexican immigrants)
• women remained in vulnerable position
• wagner act did not give agricultural workers right to join unions

Question 13

remaining divisions in labour force - example

Answer 13

AFL still excluded unskilled labourers

Question 14

remaining gender inequality

Answer 14

• pay gap
• women (workers) remained in vulnerable position

Question 15

how many unemployed workers by 1933

Answer 15

13 million