The Labor Movement and Unionism Background and Brief History

Higher wages! Shorter workdays! Better working conditions! These famous words echoed throughout the United States beginning in "1790 with the skilled craftsmen" (Dessler, 1997, p. 544). For the last two-hundred years, workers of all trades have been fighting for their rights and "seeking methods of improving their living standards, working conditions, and job security" (Boone, 1996,p.287). As time went by, these individuals came to the conclusion that if they work together collectively, they would grow stronger to get responses to their demands. This inspired into what we know today as labor unions. "A labor union is an organized group of workers whose purpose is to increase wages and influence other job conditions for its members" (Parkin, 1998,p.344).

These labor unions can be divided into two types: craft unions and industrial unions (World, 1998). A craft union is "a union whose membership is restricted to workers who possess an identifiable skill" (Robinson, 1985,p. 69). These members tend to be better educated and trained, and more unified because of common interests (World, 1998). An example of a craf

Continuing through the 1930's and Franklin Roosevelt's presidency, another act was passed in 1935 known as the National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act) after Senator Robert F. Wagner of New York (World, 1998). This law, like the previous ones, encourages and protects labor's rights. When this act was passed it added 'meat' to the National LaGuardia Act. "It did this by: (1) banning certain unfair labor practices, (2) providing for secret-ballot elections and majority rule for determining whether a firm's employees were to unionize; and (3) creating the National Labor Relations Board for enforcing these two provisions" (Dessler, 1997, p.549).

"may yet arrest and reverse its decline, as it has several times before over the course of its 200-year history in this country. Such a reversal would seem to hinge on four major changes. First, employers would give to conclude that more productivity gains are possible with a unionized work force than without one. Second, employers would have to decide that cooperation with unions, rather than resistance to them, makes for sounder employer-employee relations. Third, federal and state laws, as well as media treatment and public opinion, would have to tile anew in labor's favor. Fourth, union bureaucracies would have to open up to more democracy than is common to bureaucracies of any type.

Along with reaching to women and minorities, he is reaching to young people. His administration recruited over a thousand young adults to "Union Summer" internship programs where they developed skills and expertise on issues relating to labor (Milkman, 1998). Couple that with $40 million spent on new "feel good" commercials aimed at improving the looks of unions to the general public (Zapenski, 1997), and Mr. Sweeney seems to be doing all he can to plug the holes in what was once thought to be a sinking ship.

Coupled with management theories like McGregor's Theory Y management style (Rakich, 1996) and recent continuous quality improvement philosophies taught by Deming, Juran and the like (Rakich, 1996), a focus on more human and productive relationships between the employee and employer has emerged. The perception has been that collective bargaining is no longer needed since the "factory-line" approach to management has been de-emphasized and a more positive, employee-empowering atmosphere is taking its place (American Labor, 1998).

2) Bush freed contractors from the pro-union Davis Bacon Act after Hurricane Andrew which had made contractors pay union-wages,

I see this as a very good step for unions; workers need to be kept in the family. If you help a union member out to find work or help him with a complaint against a company, he/she is going to look upon unions a very positive and will likely tell co-workers and friends. Workers also need to be furthered while on the job, the continuing education and training will provide valuable assets to the workers and at the same time keep them happy with the unions who represent them.

Appeal to the Masses. Another interesting concept is the broadening of unions to all working people. Unions have the opportunity to align themselves with groups such as women, environmentalists, religious, and various public action entities. This would broaden the spectrum of unions and encourage change in many places outside of union factories (Early, 1999). This is where Sweeney's ad campaign could pay the highest dividends-show people that unions are nothing to be afraid of, and join hands with established community groups. I see almost no way that unions could not see membership increases.

During our vast research for this paper, my group has discovered that the alternative choice is expressed much more than the first. We found abundant resources praising unions and predicting their future "rebirth". While we were able to find articles praising the other option, they were not nearly as large in number. Seeing as how popular opinion, at leas

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