1. Objective: Analyze Truman’s labor policy for America

2. Background  1945 WWII ended  12 million soldiers returned from war  Pair share – what effect would a large number of people have on the economy (good and bad) of the US  Look for jobs, homes, financial security (money to live)  Americans were tired of suffering through rations

3. Background  African Americans served in war next white soldiers  Gained respect on battle field  Came home to segregation  Wanted equality like in battle  Pair share – How can race relations change the economy?

4. Truman Policy  Called for 21 major changes to labor force  Sept 6, 1945 - Vision for Postwar America  Minimum wage  Guaranteed employment  Medical insurance  Housing aid  Improved benefits for war veterans  Wage and price controls

5. Truman Policy - Fair Deal  Continued to push New Deal programs – Taft Hartley Act  Support unions as long as they don’t harm working nation (steel, railroads, coal)  Draft workers as soldiers and force them to work  Created the Fair deal  Pro-labor  Economic controls  Social security  Medical provisions

6. Fair Deal changes  Federal agencies to provide minor medical and dental services to employees (1945)  Social Security Act was amended (1950) to provide a new category of state aid to the totally and permanently disabled.  Child labor was finally prohibited through an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act(1949).  National School Lunch and Milk Act (1946)  Funds were provided for slum clearance and urban renewal

7. Truman Policy - Opposition  Republicans & some democrats saw it as unnecessary giveaways  Pair share – How could these “giveaways” effect  Business owners  Workers?  Workers – want pay increase  Business owners – want profits

8. Truman Policy - Opposition  1946 – 5,000 strikes  Ran out of basic goods  Meat, bread  Washing machines, cars  Some went to African Americans store  Others went with out

9. Truman Policy - Complaints  Taft-Hartley Act – Government monitors the activity of labor unions  Labor unions walked off the job  Military had to force them back on the job  Pair share – What effect would labor unions have on America?  Should the President step into force labor back to work

10. African Americans  Knew that African-Am represented large voting block & constitution gave equal rights to all  Ordered investigation into race relations  Desegregate the military in ’47  Split his party  States Rights’ Democratic Party  Pair share - What is the goal and where are these democrats located?

11. African Americans – Truman Speech to NAACP  “Every man should have the right to a decent home, the right to an education, the right to adequate medical care, the right to a worthwhile job, the right to an equal share in the making of public decisions through the ballot, and the right to a fair trial in a fair court.”  Went against his party to end racial segregation

12. Another War  1950 Korean War  Wanted to rally Americans behind new War  Didn’t take control of economy like WWII  People weren’t willing to sacrifice  Congress ended Truman’s war taxes  Strikes continued

13. Result  People continued to strike  1952 Steel strike  Truman tried to take control of company  Court said he couldn’t take control of businesses  Had to justify by Taft Hartley Act to delay strike  Refused to use it cause he didn’t like it  Truman lost control of Economy