Organized Labor in the United States

What is a Labor Union? Labor Unions are workers getting together for mutual protection and advancement of worker goals, mainly fair working conditions and pay. The strength of the union is collective action, using collective bargaining, and if conditions between the management and the workers goes badly, the workers can strike and cease work. Labor Unions have been vilified by the owners and governments because they actually work to change conditions and force political change. Collective bargaining is a powerful tool.

Labor Unions Labor Unions started close to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, but most countries made them illegal and used harsh measures to break them up, including mass killings. By the late 1800’s, governments were becoming more democratic and liberal, and unions gained a small foothold. By the turn of the century, unions were gaining quickly in strength, and used their power to create laws for better working conditions, such as: 40 hour work week 8 hour day Overtime pay Sick days Time off Safety laws Worker protections Minimum wage

Unions and Opposition There are many different unions, some of which have been more restrictive and inclusive, and other have been more open. Closed Shop: All workers must be in union Union Shop: workers required to join after a set time Right-to-Work Laws: Laws created to break up unions Binding Arbitration: If negotiations fail, a third party may be agreed upon to decide. Also, some workers forced into binding arbitration by employers to avoid lawsuits (typically where there are no unions).