Importance of Labor Unions
A labour union is a collection of employees who have formed an organization to protect the rights of the workers in a specific firm. In the early 20th century, the textile, mining, and automobile manufacturing industries had proliferated in North America. The increase in the labor force brought about the need for establishing tenets that governed working conditions (MacDonald, 2019). The federal government enacted laws that ensured there was the protection of workers that promote the growth of the economy from unlawful exploitation by employers.
The great depression was a time of reduced economic activities and uncertainties. In a state of reduced profits and potential losses, companies that performed poorly had to lay off or furlough employees (Altenried, 2019). Workers who belonged to a union were protected in that there were benefits accrued in case of unsuitable working conditions. The benefits included demonstrations for appropriate working hours, abolishment of child labor, and demand for better payment. Labor unions were effective as the demands of the workers were heeded.
Labor unions still exist to protect the needs of professions that share a common interest or are vulnerable to mistreatment. The most commonly known is the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), a labor union of public school teachers. Inflation disproportionately affects professions as the cost of living rises and wages stagnate. Also, the nature of working is rapidly changing as corporations are retrenching, hiring on a part-time basis, and changing the mode of service delivery. Therefore, AFT engages the government in collective bargaining by affecting the demand and supply of teachers in schools (Strunk, et al., 2018). Similarly, private organizations can form unions provided they have a significant number to influence the productivity of a corporation. Recently, Amazon increased the minimum hourly wage due to pressure from the employees demanding adequate pay for the hours put in work. Moreover, unions act as the body that presents the challenges faced by employees to the employers and other relevant authorities.
References
Altenried, M. (2019). On the last mile: logistical urbanism and the transformation of labor. Work Organisation, Labour & Globalisation, 114-129.
MacDonald, D. (2019). How labor unions increase political knowledge: Evidence from the United States. Political Behavior, 1-24.
Strunk, K. O., Cowen, J. M., Goldhaber, D., Mariano, B. D., Kilbride , T., & Theobald, R. (2018). It is in the contract: How the policies set in teachers’ unions’ collective bargaining agreements vary across states and districts. Educational Policy, 280-312.
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Importance of Labor Unions
In your opinion, why did employees seek the protection of a union in the 1930s?
Are unions still an important element today (don’t forget about the public sector as well as private-sector unions)? Support your answers with good justification.
Be specific in your response – use data from academic sources and news outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, New York Times, etc.
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