NEW DEAL WORKERS

Question 1

Give context statement

Answer 1

• Period saw high unemployment and conflict between workers and employers significant legislation was passed that helped improve position of workers as their rights were increasingly recognised

Question 2

Ways federal govt positively impacted rights

Answer 2

• 1933 - NIRA set up NRA to get workers to cooperate on things like wages -> encouraged firms to deal with improving hours/wages
• 1935 - Wagner act gave workers right to elect own representatives and engages in collective bargaining -> NLRB established (bargain on behalf of workers), banned use of spies, declared constitutional
• 1938 fair labour standards act - created minimum wage$25 weekly, banned employment of children under 16
• 1934 - NRA had led to 557 codes agreed by companies covering 23 million workers (reversed in 1935)
• Wagner act facilitated expansion of union membership - union of automobile workers had 400000 members by 1937

Question 3

Ways trade unions positively impacted rights

Answer 3

• Union membership increased - 3.7 million in 1933 to 9 million in 1938
• More industries recognise unions - 1936 strike at general motors led to recognition of united automobile workers union
• Committee on industrial organisations 1935 - became cio in 1937 -> encouraged black Americans and other groups to join unions, started sit down strikes (used against car manufacturers)
• Reduced clashes between workers and gave organised unions a lot more rights - closed shops allowed, stopped use of blacklists, minimum wage established
• 1935 - many unions broke away from afl as they discriminated against unskilled workers forming cio (1937) -> initially split movement but gave unskilled workers more representation

Question 4

Ways employers negatively impacted rights

Answer 4

• Henry ford didn’t recognise nira or Wagner act
• Continued violence against workers - strike breakers were still used, high unemployment
• Black American, Mexican and Native American workers suffered due to agricultural policies on new deal - higher prices so less production

Question 5

Ways Supreme Court negatively impacted rights

Answer 5

• 1935 - Supreme Court deemed nira unconstitutional

Question 6

Ways federal govt negatively impacted rights

Answer 6

• Unskilled/agricultural workers and women didn’t benefit from improvement - nira and fair labour standards act upheld pay differentials
• Conflict between state and federal rights - many didn’t benefit from welfare reforms, some improvements but not extended to all workers
• Roosevelt reluctant to increase power of workers - tried to win support by reducing power of employers to exploit them