w6, 7 Flashcards
(37 cards)
Why did labor union membership grow in the United States from 1933 to 1945?
Political will and worker will
Political support and specific legal protections for unionized workers; willingness of workers to risk their safety for representation.
What are the legal provisions of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)?
- Became illegal to fire workers for union activities
- Mandated secret-ballot elections for forming a union
- Employers obliged to bargain with elected union representatives
- National Labor Review Board to oversee fair labor practices
What happened during the Homestead Strike of 1892?
Labor dispute between Carnegie Steel Company and its workers
Involved management, strikebreakers, and the Pinkerton National Detective Agency; ended in violence.
How does the presence or absence of government support for labor unions impact collective bargaining?
Presence allows contract negotiations; absence leads to defeats for union organizers.
What are the benefits of labor union membership?
- Wage gains
- Non-wage compensation
- Job security (seniority)
- Paid vacations
- Pension plans
- Health insurance
- Paid sick leave
What percentage of the non-agricultural labor force is currently unionized in the U.S.?
9.9% or 14.3 million.
What factors account for the steady decline in American unionization?
- Economic transformation from manufacturing to service jobs
- Decrease in manufacturing jobs led to decreased union membership
- More conservative political mood and accusations of communism against unions.
What are the amendments of the Taft-Hartley Act?
- States can outlaw compulsory union membership
- Prohibits automatic dues without written consent
- Allows the president to end a strike during a national emergency
- Makes unions financially liable for member violations of agreements.
What is a ‘right-to-work’ statute?
Guarantees no person can be compelled to join or pay dues to a labor union.
What are two long-term effects of the Taft-Hartley Act?
- Defeat of organized labor’s efforts in the South
- Encouraged management opposition to labor organizing.
What strategies do businesses use to prevent labor unionization?
- Matching strategies to provide rewards
- Conducting legal campaigns against unions
- Sometimes illegally firing pro-union workers.
What was the Supreme Court’s ruling on Starbucks Corp. v. McKinney?
District courts must apply traditional four factors from Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council.
How does the Supreme Court’s ruling on Janus v. AFSCME impact labor unions?
Bars public sector unions from charging agency fees to non-members.
What are ‘agency fees’?
Fees charged to non-union employees in a union-represented workplace.
What are the disadvantages of union decline?
- Decreased wages
- Reduced non-wage compensation.
What percentage of American workers want union representation?
44%.
Which groups are more likely to favor union representation?
- Workers with less education
- Minority groups facing workplace discrimination.
What is the ‘voice gap’ according to Thomas Kochan et al.?
Difference between the influence workers believe they should have and what they actually experience.
Why have thousands of unionized Starbucks workers gone on strike during ‘red cup day’?
To kickstart contract negotiations over pay, benefits, staffing, and scheduling.
Why was Dartmouth College unwilling to enter into collective bargaining with its men’s basketball team labor union?
Athletes were not considered employees.
What is the current ‘labor force participation rate’ of women with children under 18 in the U.S.?
74% in 2023.
What factors account for the increase in women’s participation in the formal labor force?
- Push factors: declining male wages, economic uncertainty from divorces
- Pull factors: women’s movement and Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
What two federal legislative packages helped remove legal barriers to paid employment for women?
- Title VII (1964)
- Title IX Educational Amendments Act (1972).
What is ‘gendered job segregation’?
Filling occupations predominantly with male or female workers.
