The History of Unions in the
United States, by Mark Cussen, 4/2/19, Investopedia.
Origin of the First Labor Union - The first hundred years of
U.S. history saw relatively little in the development of labor unions. A few
were organized in scattered fashion, but many of those simply disbanded after
they had achieved their goals, such as when the printers briefly unionized in
New York City in 1778. The first successful strike in building trades took place
in 1791 when Philadelphia carpenters campaigned for a 10-hour workday. The need
for both skilled and unskilled labor mushroomed during
the Industrial Revolution and the Civil War and the subsequent discontinuation
of slavery helped to illustrate the right of workers to receive a fair wage for
their labor.
Protecting Worker Rights - The National Labor Union was created in 1866 to convince Congress to limit the workday for federal employees to eight hours, but the private sector was much harder for unions to penetrate. The continual flood of immigrants coming into the country further diluted the workforce, and the price of labor declined as a result. Poor pay and working conditions in the 1890s led the Pullman Railroad workers and United Mine workers to lay down their tools in protest, but both strikes were broken up by the government. The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions was formed in 1881, and the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was founded five years later. Congress became more sympathetic toward the labor force as time passed, which led to the creation of the Department of Labor. The Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 allowed employees to strike and boycott their employers and was followed by the Public Contract and the Fair Labor Standards Acts, which mandated a minimum wage, extra pay for overtime work and basic child labor laws.
The Impact of Wartime - Labor unions grew in power and number from the Civil War through World War I, as the need for factory workers and other laborers continued to increase. They lost ground during the Roaring '20s, however, when the economy grew so much that the need for unionization seemed irrelevant. But the Great Depression quickly reversed this trend and unions grew stronger than ever under Roosevelt's New Deal policies. Union membership grew exponentially as the depression wore on and workers sought employment and protection through their local trade unions.
Decreasing Power - But the strength of the
unions during this era led many union leaders into corruption and complacency,
and the power of the unions began to decline in subsequent decades. As
additional laws were passed outlawing child labor and mandating equal pay for
equal work regardless of race or gender, unions became less important to
workers who were able to rely on federal laws to protect them.
The Bottom Line - Despite the erosion in their power and influence, labor
unions continue to prove their importance, as they were instrumental in getting
President Obama elected in 2008 and reelected in 2012. The unions hoped that
Obama would be able to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, a measure
of legislation intended to streamline and shorten the process that unions
must use to bring in new members. This act would have shifted the balance of
power in the workplace in the unions' favor and allowed their memberships to
grow rapidly but failed when Democrats were unable to collect the necessary
votes.
Labor unions have existed
in one form or another in the United States since the birth of the country.
They were created in an effort to protect the working population from abuses
such as sweatshops and unsafe working conditions. On the other hand, they have
also been accused of crippling industries and consorting with organized crime
over the decades. But in one way or another, labor unions have been woven into
the political, economic and cultural fabric of America, and their influence has
played a colorful role in its development.
The power of the labor
unions was somewhat curtailed during World War II, however, as some unions,
such as those in the defense industry, were forbidden by the government to
strike due to the impediment that it would present to wartime production. But
the end of the war saw a wave of strikes in many industries and it was at this
point that union power and membership reached its zenith. The unions were a
controlling force in the economy during the late '40s and '50s, and the AFL
merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) at this point to
spearhead the American labor force.
Union membership ended up
decreasing during this time, which many say led members to switch their support
to the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, over Hillary Clinton during the 2016
presidential election. Although the effect the Employee Free Choice Act could
have had on the economy is unclear, there's no question that unions will
continue to play a role in the U.S. labor force for decades to come.
Norb
Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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