{"id":74933,"date":"2018-10-11T23:39:01","date_gmt":"2018-10-11T23:39:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essays.homeworkacetutors.com\/labor-law-and-labor-unions-in-the-us\/"},"modified":"2018-10-11T23:39:01","modified_gmt":"2018-10-11T23:39:01","slug":"labor-law-and-labor-unions-in-the-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/labor-law-and-labor-unions-in-the-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Labor Law and Labor Unions in the US"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Labor unions and movements play a major role in the United States. Although they are treated synonymously, the labor movements encompass a broader scope than labor unions. Some of the examples of current labor unions and movements include National Guestworker, Domestic Workers United and Wal-Mart workers groups. The heart of the current labor initiatives in the United States can be traced back to the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (Collier & Collier, 2002). The labor law was imperative since it was intended to put the power of the government behind the worker\u2019s right to organize unions and bargain collectively<\/a> with their employers on issues such as wages, hours and working conditions. In the last thirty years, labor unions have declined in both membership and influence. The primary reasons for the reduced labor unions include weak labor laws and employer opposition. This paper will entail an analysis of the labor unions and movements in the United States including their history, current status and impact on business. <\/p>\n

In the United States, the earliest form of labor organization constituted mutual aid societies that ensured restriction of entry into the craft and enforced workplace standards. The labor organization did not raise conflicts or cause problems since the craft workers were few and the companies were small (Collier & Collier, 2002). The origins of the labor movement can be found in the formative years of the nation during the emergence of a free wage-labor market in the artisan trades during the colonial period. The earliest strike in labor history<\/a> took place in 1768 after the New York journeymen tailors protested a reduced wage. The creation of the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers (shoemakers) in 1794 marked the onset of sustainable trade union organization among workers in America (Collier & Collier, 2002). After that union, local craft unions increased in the cities, publishing the prices for their work and protecting their trades against diluted and cheap labor. <\/p>\n

The industrial development in the early nineteenth century increased
\nthe gap between employers and skilled workers. The workers began to think of
\nfactories and industries as a threat to their wages and status. The workers
\nsoon created fledgling craft unions to
\nresist undesirable working conditions. The craft unions sought to resist immediate wage reductions, increased working
\nhours and unsafe working conditions. The unions also aimed to protect their
\npolitical, social and economic rights. The unions moved from local to national
\nmovements as both labor and product markets became national as a result of
\nimprovements such as transportation (Collier & Collier, 2002). <\/p>\n

Several factors inspired the early labor movement beyond the job
\ninterest of the craft members. It harbored the ideals of a just society based
\non the Ricardian labor theory of value and the republican
\nconceptions of the American Revolution (Brody, 1993). Such ideals and
\nrevolutionary conceptions fostered social equality, honest labor and depended
\non an independent and virtuous
\ncitizenship. The industrial capitalism and the associated economic
\ntransformations contradicted the labor\u2019s vision. The solution as early labor
\nleaders saw it was to categorize the society into the poor and the rich. The
\nadvocates of equal rights presented a series of reform beginning with the
\nworkingmen\u2019s parties. Some of the notable
\nlabor reforms created included the Knights of Labor and the National Labor
\nUnion (Brody, 1993). <\/p>\n

During the 1880s, the labor unions reinforced their relationship
\nwith trade unionism. The Knights of Labor recruited scores of workers with the vision of improving their immediate
\nconditions (Brody, 1993). A conflict occurred between the national trade unions
\nand the Knights of Labor as they performed their strikes. The national trade
\nunions demanded the Knights to remain within the professed labor reform
\npurposes. Their refusal led to the national trade unions uniting to form the
\nAmerican Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1886 (Brody, 1993). The AFL took several
\nlessons from the fallen Knights that enabled it to consider the position of
\ncollective bargaining as an acceptable compromise. The compromise was necessary in the face of the ongoing labor
\nstrike that ranged from slowdowns to industrial sabotage through the
\ndestruction of equipment (Reynolds, 1984). <\/p>\n

The institution of the American Federation of Labor took place after
\nthe previous strikes ended in the defeat of the existing
\nlabor movements and unions. The new union was
\nconvinced that the previous forms of unionization were diffuse and
\nfragment. The old unions did not stand a chance against the violence that the
\ncompanies could bring upon the workers. The leaders of the previous unions
\norganized themselves as a federation of narrow and self-interested unions
\n(Reynolds, 1984) <\/p>\n

The new federation marked a separation with the past since it denied
\nlabor reform further roles in the struggles of American workers and labor
\nreforms lost its meaning hence the confusion and ultimate failure of the
\nknights of labor due to industrialism. Trade unionism was defined as the movement of the entire working class (Reynolds, 1984).
\nThe formal policy represented all workers, irrespective of skill, race,
\nreligion, nationality or gender. Those unions that had created the American
\nFederation of Labor compromised only the skilled labor; therefore, the movement
\nencountered a dilemma.<\/p>\n

A technological change began to undermine the crafting system of
\nproduction, some national unions moved towards an industrial structure, most in
\ncoal mining and the garments trades. The trade union took a racist and sexist
\ncoloration since skill lines tended to conform to racial, ethnic and gender
\ndivisions. The federation reversed an earlier
\nprincipled decision and chartered the whites only international
\nassociation of machinist after it was unable to launch in interracial
\nmachinists in 1895. In 1902, African Americans made up a meager three percent
\nof total membership (Reynolds, 1984).<\/p>\n

Nothing better captures the displaced amalgam of old and new in the postwar
\nlabor movement than the treatment of minorities and women who came in masses,
\ninitially from the mass production industries.\u00a0
\nAfter 1960, they also came from the public and service sectors as well.\u00a0 Labor\u2019s historic dedication to racial and
\ngender equality was reinforced, but not to the point of challenging the status quo
\nwithin the labor movement itself (Brody, 1993).<\/p>\n

The leadership structure remained largely closed to minorities. The
\nskilled jobs were historically reserved for the white male workers, notoriously
\nso in the construction but the industrial unions as well. The AFL played a
\ncrucial role in the battle for civil rights legislation in 1964-1965 (Brody, 1993).
\nThe meaning they derived in achieving this kind of reform was more significant
\nthan the chance to act on the on the broad ideals of the labor movements. <\/p>\n

This motivated to
\nthe deployment of labors power with significant
\neffect in the achievement of John F. Kennedy\u2019s domestic programs during
\nthe 1960s. The weakening of organized labor\u2019s grip on the industrial sector
\ncontributed to the decline in political capability. New competitive forces
\nswept through the heavily ionized industries from the early 1970s onward set off by deregulation in communications and
\ntransportation, by industrial restructuring, and by an unprecedented onslaught
\nof foreign goods (Montgomery, 2009). <\/p>\n

The labor sector has experienced a significant decline from 1985 to
\n2012. During the administrations of George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George
\nW. Bush, the labor movement did not experience significant changes. However,
\nthe election of Barack Obama into the presidency in 2008 brought a glimmer of
\nhope to labor unions and movements in the United States (Montgomery, 2009).
\nLabor required the establishment of methods to ensure the certification of
\nnewly organized unions. The Labor leaders advocated the Employee Free Choice
\nAct that would compel organizations to acknowledge and bargain with unions
\nprovided that a majority of the employees requested
\nthe representation of unions. <\/p>\n

Currently, the labor unions and movements continue to lack the power
\nto influence the needed changes in the labor market. The unions anticipate
\nmaking a comeback despite the legislative defeat in 2009. The increasing trend
\nof outsourcing in the private sector is contributing to the decline in the
\npower of unions in that sector. The labor unions do not have power because of
\nthe outsourcing of workers to other countries that provide cheap labor. The
\npattern of union densities explains the problems affecting the labor unions.
\nThe union density in the public sector was thirty-six percent between 1980 and
\n1985. In the industry, it reduced from
\n20.6% to 15.5% in the private sector during the same period (Zieger, 2004). The
\nreduced union density in both public and private sector shows the decline in
\nthe power of labor unions and movements in America. <\/p>\n

The changes in the labor unions and movements throughout history can
\nbe ascribed to the dynamics between
\nworkers and corporations. A negative relationship exists between labor unions
\nand the companies because of a variety of reasons. Business owners recognize
\nthe potential to compete successfully in an economy. However, the potential is
\nattainable through flexibility in reducing wages, hiring and firing workers
\n(Zieger, 2004). It is also achievable through the addition of extra hours of
\nwork and reducing the hours of free-time. Wages and salaries account for a
\nsignificant proportion of the overall costs. Currently, such costs are above
\nfifty percent, and corporations strive to ensure they remain at a minimum. The
\nresult is the conflict between labor unions and business owners because of the
\ncontradictory nature of their goals. <\/p>\n

Labor unions and movements have several implications on businesses.
\nOne of the impacts includes reduced profitability because of the increased
\ncosts. The unions strive to ensure that their workers are rewarded deservedly
\nwhile the companies aim to increase their profits through the reduction of
\ncosts including wages and salaries (Zieger, 2004). Labor unions also affect the
\nproductivity of businesses since they affect factors that influence
\nproductivity. The unions demand reduced working hours consequently leading to
\ndiminished productivity in an organization. <\/p>\n

In conclusion, labor unions and movements have a conflicting relationship with corporations as
\nevidenced throughout history. The labor unions are revolutionary and seek to
\nensure the fair treatment of their workers. On the other hand, the corporations
\nstrive to maximize profitability, and this entails reducing the costs involved.
\nThey attempt to increase productivity through increased hours and reduced the
\nfree time for the workers. The conflict of interests contributes to the struggle
\nbetween labor unions and business owners.\u00a0
\n\u00a0<\/p>\n

References<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • Brody, D. (1993). Workers in industrial America: essays on the twentieth-century struggle<\/em>. Oxford University Press on Demand.<\/li>\n
  • Lewis, H. G. (1986). Union relative wage effects. Handbook of labor economics<\/em>, 2<\/em>, 1139-1181.<\/li>\n
  • Montgomery, D. (2009). Workers\u2019 control in America: Studies in the history of work, technology, and labor struggles<\/em>. Cambridge University Press.<\/li>\n
  • Reynolds, M. O. (1984). Power and privilege: Labor unions in America<\/em>. Universe Pub.<\/li>\n
  • Zieger, R. H. (2004). American workers, American unions<\/em>. Johns Hopkins Univ Pr.<\/li>\n
  • Collier, R. B., & Collier, D. (2002). Shaping the political arena<\/em> (p. 53). Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Labor unions and movements play a major role in the United States. Although they are treated synonymously, the labor movements encompass a broader scope than labor unions. Some of the examples of current labor unions and movements include National Guestworker, Domestic Workers United and Wal-Mart workers groups. The heart of the current labor initiatives in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5803],"tags":[9845,5294,9887,9867,9888,9889,9890,9886,9885],"class_list":["post-74933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-employment","tag-1-dissertation-writing-service-in-uk","tag-bishops-writing-bureau","tag-cn","tag-create-a-paper-using-the-following-criteria","tag-homework-help-assignment-answers","tag-in-1050-word-essay","tag-in-a-4-to-6-page-essay","tag-in-a-page-paper-assignment","tag-write-an-essay-in-words"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74933"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74933\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.colapapers.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}