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Labor Unions in America
Overview:
Join Active Minds as we trace the history of the labor movement in America. We will examine labor's origins as well as key struggles along the way. The rise of powerful unions such as the Teamsters will be covered, as well as the individuals who influenced them. We will end with a look at the relevance of unions today, with a particular focus on recent negotiations in various industries.
Key Lecture Points:
• In September-November 2007, autoworkers and stagehands in the US went on strike, demanding new and better working arrangements (hours, conditions, etc.). While the United Auto Workers has organized countless strikes, the strike of the stagehand’s union was its first. Both of these cases illustrated the continued salience of labor unions in the lives of working Americans.
• Labor unions have a long and rich history in the US, first arising in the form of guilds of craftspeople in colonial America. As the US transformed from an agrarian economy with a tiny manufacturing base to an industrial giant over the course of the 19th century, the labor union movement would grow in tandem. American workers not only demanded the right to unionize, but also demanded shorter working days and safer conditions. The 1886 creation of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) by Samuel Gompers is one highlight of this movement.
• Although workers became more insistent in their demands, business and government did not capitulate immediately. Initially, government’s response to labor strikes and protests in the late 19th century was to break the strikes, using the military if necessary. It was only after the Great Depression that the federal government began to safeguard the right to unionize and require employers to bargain with unions.
• The “golden age” of labor unionism in the US occurred in the post-WWII era. By the late 1950s, it is estimated that 1/3 of American non-farm workers belonged to a union. While this towers above today’s 10 million-person union workforce (5% of the total workforce), it pales in comparison to the union membership rates of other Western nations.
• Today, unions are struggling to stay relevant in the era of globalization. As America’s job base shifts from an industrial base to a service sector base, unions have had difficulty maintaining their numbers. Furthermore, the recent auto worker strikes in Detroit demonstrate that neither labor nor management can afford a protracted conflict like those in the past. Locally, some Coloradans are concerned with Governor Ritter’s new collective bargaining partnership with state employees, similarly worried about the proposal’s impact on the competitiveness of CO’s economy.
Exploration Questions:
• What have been the causes for the reduction in the size and influence of labor unions in the United States?
• In your opinion, have unions benefited the United States? Explain your reasoning.
• Why have unions found it difficult to expand their numbers in a service-sector economy?
Reflective Question:
• Were you ever a member of a union? If so, what was your experience?
• Unions have often been the spotlight of Hollywood portrayals, such as On the Waterfront.
Can you think of other movies that cover the issue of Labor either in a positive or negative light?
More to Explore:
• Labor union history: www.uwstout.edu
• AFL-CIO: www.aflcio.org
Books For Further Reading:
• Dine, Phillip N. State of the Unions: How Labor Can Strengthen the Middle Class, Improve our Economy and Regain Political Influence. McGraw-Hill, 2007. 276 pages. Told by an investigative reporter, this is a biased account of labor’s potential role in the US. Contrary to the current orthodoxy that labor unions hurt the national economy, Dine argues that they can make it stronger. Click here to order.
• Moreno, Paul D. Black Americans and Organized Labor: A New History. Louisiana State University Press, forthcoming. 352 pages. Stretching from the pre Civil War era to the present, this rather academic reading tells the history and role of race and racial discrimination in the American labor movement. Click here to order.
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