In the year 1903, jobs were scarce and insecure. An average worker worked between twelve and eight-teen hours per day, for an income of or around two dollars each day (4). Workers were not only expected to accomplish there given tasks, but to take responsibility for any damages to the product they were producing. There was no insurance in case one was injured on the job and could not return to work. In this case, the injured worker would be out of a job. It is because of these horrible working conditions that teamster unions formed to protect themselves from these liabilities that employers were holding them accountable for. These unions caught the interest of the American Federation of Labor. Leader of the group, Samuel Gompers, called on several local workers to create a National Teamster Union. By the end of the next year, the Team Drivers International Union (TDIU) was formed. Fr
In 1929, the United States stock market suffered a catastrophic crash. In response to this, Teamster Unions embraced President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He fought for working class families, and he relied plenty on U.S labor leaders, especially Tobin. As banks collapsed, unemployment rates went from three percent too twenty-five. In 1933 the IBT hit an all time membership low of 75,000 (2). In order to recover from the crash, Roosevelt established minimum wages, and labor hours were reduced in order open up work opportunities for the unemployed. Roosevelt's efforts eventually raised the Teamsters membership to 146,000. Roosevelt also started the National Labor Relations act. It stated in law, "The workers' right to collective bargaining and protected them from management interference or intimidation aimed at union activity (4)." As the depression slowly diminished the United States found
All papers and essays are for research and reference purposes only!
Copyright 2002-2009
Direct Essays , LLC. All Rights Reserved. DMCA Webmasters make $$$$