Trade Unions and Labour Rights Flashcards
(18 cards)
position of unions at the start of the period
rights of workers were completely dependent on what workers could negotiate with employers. employers weren’t required to recognise unions
position by the first world war
growth in union membership
mostly protected skilled workers so the rapidly growing unskilled workers population had no prtections
workers could be laid off any time, worked long hours in unsafe conditions and weren’t entitled to sick or injury compensation
unions in the late 19th century
KOL reached 700,000 by 1886 but fell rapidly after the haymarket affair
wobblies est 1905 but were less effective and had less mebership due to violence
challenges to unions in the late 19th century
former Pullman strike was ineffective slaves and immigrants entering the work place willing to take lower pay so emplotyers laid off white workers. unions didn’t want to work with AAS
Homestead strike bankrupted the AAISW,
first world war
factories saw higher demand for products -> higher profits -> more conciliatory toward workers
NWLB est by government to ensure production remained high -> better working hours but no strike agreement
1920s boom
real wages grew and unemployment fell
welfare capitalism and benefits threatened unions and workers lost right to negotiate or strike
company unions
yellow dog contracts
Brotherhood of the sleeping car porters
-porters (mostly AAs) saw terrible conditions
pullman company refused to recognise the union until 1928 and then legislation under Roosevelt allowed them to offically represent the workers
divisons over strikes
phillip randolph
The great depression
unemployment was high,
employers could exploit the weak position of workers who needed their jobs
strike breakers
union membership fell
New Deal
- NIRA would have been a high point for labour rights but failed as it was declared unconsistutional
-NLRB/NLRA/Wagner Act.
negotiated on behalf of workers, right of workers to collective bargaining, right to join unions and spying on unions was banned
union membership rose 5mil in 5years
-Some firms ie General motors resisted initially- sit in strike forced them to recognise the UAWU in 1936 and the SWOC was recognised by US Steel in 1937
fair labour standards act
-unskilled workers still in a poor position
second world war
workers essential to war production, real wages rose 70% and unemployment fell to the point of a labour shortage
union membership grew to 15 mil by the end of the war
post second world war
-saw a large number of strikes, resulting in decline in position of unions
-people believed unions had grown too powerful under roosevelt
-Taft Hartley act 1947 limited power of unions
-some companies negotiated benefits packages
growth of white collar jobs which often were in the government and signed no strike agreements meant union membership declined
workers were in a better position but unions were not
1960s
Equal pay act 1963
CRA 1964
Economic opportunity Act 1964
age discrimination act 1968
AFL and CIO merged with 16 million members giving it better bargaining power over wages/conditions/contracts/insurance/holidays/pensions
unions were more attractive to workers ie union members often had 20% higher pay
position of AA workers worsened due to disadvantages from poor quality education
right to join a union was firmly established
both unions and workers were in a better position
The end f the period
-falling union membership continued until 1992 and power/importance of unions was reduced compared to that of the new deal period or the 1960s
-due to changing structure of American workforce and economy
-also due to events like the 1981 PATCO strike
-lack of public sympathy for the airline workers and their actions discouraged further strikes
-both government and employers had issues with unions as well as internal divisions
-decline in size of factories/businesses made it harder to organise
-welfare packages
-increasing female/white collar workers who were uninterested in joining unions
Difference in position between 1865 and 1992
workers had to the right to
-join a union, although there were non-union firms
-collective bargaining, although the threat of unemployment weakened the position
-strike, although some government workers were forbidden and some firms demanded no-strike contracts
-the position of female workers was starting to improve
-AA and Hispanic workers were still vulnerable and often low paid
Impact of economic growth on labour rights
-during the guilded age, there was new growth in heavy industry and demand for large numbers of unskilled workers. Skilled workers unions often didn’t want to include them and the process to gain rights was incredibly slow. typically subjected to harsh working hours, conditions, etc. there was some slow progress at this time
-the end of the guilded age- fall in demand, fewer workers needed, employers could lower wages and unions weren’t strong enough to take them on
-1920s- boom and growing consumer demand allowed this progress to continue. less unemployment forced employers to take conciliatory action ie Henry Ford doubled daily wage and cut working hours
-1950s- economic prosperity gave way to rapid improvement in economic position of workers. Av income 35% higher than end of WW2. As with 1920s, better standard of living didn’t reflect improvement in rights.
-1970s, trend of workers increasing prosperity making them less concerned with unions continued
Impact of the depression on labour rights
impact of the economy on the position of unions
-post world war two:
-new technology + increased automation saw blue-collar workers decline, and union membership fell (50%) weakening bargaining power
-growth in white-collar workers, often forced to sign non union contracts, limiting influence of workers
-growing number of women who were often discouraged from joining male dominated unions
-1970s:
-competition of cheaper foreign labor
-rise in unemployment and fall in real wages
-increased reliance on high tech- needed skilled workers, didn’t want to join unions
-women
