During period, unions and labour fought for the following:
Right of unions to exist and be legally recognised
1 of 27
During period, unions and labour fought for the following:
Right to negotiate pay and working conditions
2 of 27
During period, unions and labour fought for the following:
Establishment of systems for mediation
3 of 27
During period, unions and labour fought for the following:
Right of workers to withdraw labour without punishment
4 of 27
The position of unions and labour in 1865
Workers' rights depended upon what they could negotiate from employers.
5 of 27
The position of unions and labour in 1865
Workers could be exploited and had no protection.
6 of 27
The position of unions and labour in 1865
Unions represented skilled workers in craft industries, whereas those in new industries, such as steel, had no protection.
7 of 27
The position of unions and labour in 1865
Workers could be laid off (sacked) easily and there were few safety precautions. Those injured at work received little support.
8 of 27
Unions in the late 19th Century
Growth in industrialisation witnessed growth in unions, notably Knights of Labour (KOL) and the American Federation of Labor (AFL).
9 of 27
Unions in the late 19th Century
KOL reached membership of 700,000 by 1886 because of successful strike action but membership fell following violence of Haymarket Affair and social divisions within workforce.
10 of 27
Unions in the late 19th Century
Position of workers was undermined by availability of AA labour after slavery ended (as AAs were paid less than white workers) and arrival of European immigrants, and then Homestead Strike of 1892 and Pullman Strike of 1894.
11 of 27
Unions in the late 19th Century
By WW1, little had been achieved. Unions represented only 20% of non-agricultural workforce and were divided by ethnicity, skill and gender. despite this, union membership had grown to over 2million members by 1910.
12 of 27
The First World War
Position of unions improved as they increased demand for production - for example, steel - to help with war.
13 of 27
The First World War
Factory owners were more conciliatory and government, wanting to maintain production, established Nation War Labor Board (NWLB). This limited each working day to 8 hours. In exchange workers agreed not to strike.
14 of 27
Economic boom during 1920s
Resulted in rise in real wages and employers offered workers' benefits (welfare capitalism). However, some companies set up their own unions and forced workers to sign yellow-dog contracts.
15 of 27
New Deal
Depression led to high unemployment, but Roosevelt's ND brought many gains to psoiton of workers with series of measures, including Nation Industry Recovery Act (NIRA, 1933); Wagner Act (1935) and Fair Labor Standards Act (1939)
16 of 27
New Deal
Gains often benefited only skilled workers, so those in manufacturing often lost out - particularly those on lower pay.
17 of 27
WW2
Improvements in union and labor rights continued during WW2, as workers were essential for war production.
18 of 27
The period after Second World War
End of war saw number of trikes and position of unions declined as many thought they were too powerful.
19 of 27
The period after Second World War
Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 limited theri power, and they were further weakened by the decline in blue-collar workers and growth in number of white-collar workers.
20 of 27
The period after Second World War
Unions were also seen as less important, as many workers now had paid holidays, healthcare and pensions.
21 of 27
The period after Second World War
There were some gains in 1960s with Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Age Discrimination Act of 1968.
22 of 27
The period after Second World War
Unions could now bargain over conditions, wages and contract conditions, and could gain medical and dental insurance, pensions and unemployment insurance.
23 of 27
The period after Second World War
Yet technological changes, which required more skilled workers, saw a decline in unions, as did the growth in female employment.
24 of 27
1980-92
Unions were being attacked by government and public, especially due to events of PATCO air traffic controllers' strike of 1981 and were divided among themselves.
25 of 27
1980-92
Overall, they declined because: size of factories and businesses meant workforce was more dispersed and harder to unionise; employers now gave welfare provisions to employees;
26 of 27
1980-92
Overall, they declined because: number of female and white-collar workers grew - unions were traditionally made up of male, blue-collar workers
27 of 27
Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
Right to negotiate pay and working conditions
Back
During period, unions and labour fought for the following:
Card 3
Front
Establishment of systems for mediation
Back
Card 4
Front
Right of workers to withdraw labour without punishment
Back
Card 5
Front
Workers' rights depended upon what they could negotiate from employers.
Comments
No comments have yet been made