1. Labor Unions

2. Organized Labor
Labor unions are groups of workers who band together to have a better chance to obtain higher pay and better working conditions.
Workers who perform the same skills join a craft or trade union.
Industrial unions bring together workers who belong to the same industry.

3. 3 Levels of Organized Labor
Organized labor has three levels:
Local
National or International
Federation

4. Local Level
A local union is made up of workers in a factory, company, or geographic area.
It negotiates a contract with a company and monitors the contract’s terms.

5. National or International Level
National unions are the individual craft or industrial unions that represent local unions nationwide.
Those with members in Canada or Mexico are international unions.
National unions help employees set up local unions and negotiate contracts.
In certain industries, the national union negotiates the contracts for the entire industry.

6. The Federation Level At the federation level is the AFL-CIO.
The AFL-CIO represents 13 million workers nationwide.

7. Closed Shops
In the past some unions supported the closed shop. A worker would have to belong to the union to be hired.
The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 banned most closed shops.

8. The Union Shop
The union shop is more common. Companies can hire nonunion workers, but the workers must join the union once they begin work.
One part of the Taft-Hartley Act allows state governments to ban union shops.
Twenty-one states have passed right to-work laws, which prevent unions from forcing workers to join.

9. Modified Union Shop
Workers in a modified union shop do not have to join the union.
If they choose to join, they must stay in the union as long as they work for that employer.

10. Workers Vote for Unions
A majority of workers must vote in favor of a union before one can be formed.
The National Labor Relations Board makes sure union votes are carried out honestly.

11. Did You Know?
Mary Harris Jones was a legendary leader in the labor movement of the late 1800s and early 1900s. With stirring speeches, she inspired coal miners to strike for better wages, shorter hours, and safer working conditions. She was jailed several times, even when she was past 70 years old. An angry district attorney once called her “the most dangerous woman in America.” To her, this was a compliment. The miners, though, loved her. They called her simply “Mother Jones.”

12. Collective Bargaining
Under collective bargaining, union and company representatives meet to discuss the terms of the workers’ new contract when the old one nears its end.
Negotiations focus on wages, benefits, work hours, and work rules.

13. Negotiations
If the two sides cannot agree on terms, they might try mediation, in which a third party tries to help them reach an agreement.
In some cases, they choose arbitration. A third party listens to both sides and decides on a settlement. Both parties agree in advance to accept the arbitrator’s decision.

14. Strike
To pressure management to accept their position, workers can call a strike, in which all workers in the union refuse to work.
Strikers often picket the business, marching in front of company buildings while holding signs.
If striking doesn’t work, unions can encourage people to boycott, or refuse to buy, the company’s products.

15. Lockout
Management can stage a lockout, in which the company blocks workers from entering.
Management hopes lost wages will pressure workers to accept its terms.