1945 - 1992 Flashcards
When was the Taft Hartley Act and what was the impact on trade unions?
- 1947
- passed to counteract power of unions after WW2
- restricted ‘closed shops’ (where union membership was required)
- allowed states to pass ‘right-to-work’ laws, limiting union influence
- gave the president the power to intervene in strikes affecting national security
- made union leaders take anti-communist oaths, weakening radical unions
What were right-to-work laws?
- made it illegal for employers to require union membership as a condition of employment
- allowed workers to opt out of joining a union or paying union duties, even if they benefited from union-negotiated contracts
- most common in Southern and Western states
- by 1992, 21 states had right-to-work laws
when was the Equal Pay Act and Civil Rights Act and what was the impact on labour rights
- Equal Pay act 1963: mandated equal wages for men and women in the same jobs
- Civil Rights Act 1964: banned workplace discrimination based on race, gender, religion or nationality
- strengthened legal protections but did not immediately eliminate wage gaps
How did JFK’s and LBJ’s policies influence trade unions
- JFK (New Frontier): advocated for federal employee unions
- LBJ (Great Society): expanded worker protections via Medicare & Medicaid, indirectly benefitting unions
When was the GL Bill and how did it impact trade unions after WW2?
- 1944
- provided education and housing benefits to returning soldiers, reducing reliance on unions
- help shifted workers into white-collar jobs, which were less unionized
when was the Landrum-Griffin Act, and how did it impact unions?
- 1959
- passed in response to corruption in unions
- imposed regulations on union leadership, restricted secondary boycotts, weakened union influence
when was the War on Poverty and how did it impact labour rights?
- LBJ’s programs like Job Corps provided training for low-income workers
- indirectly benefiting labour rights
- not necessarily strengthening unions
How did the post-war economic boom impact unions
- 1945 - 1960’s
- increased wages and job security due to industrial demand
- union membership peaked at 35% of the workforce in the 1950’s
- many unions secured benefits like healthcare and pensions
How did the economic decline in the 1970’s affect trade unions?
- factory closures led to reduced union jobs
- Oil crisis 1973, caused inflation and unemployment, weakening worker’s bargaining power
- Union Membership declined from 35% in the 1950’s to 25% in the late 1970’s
What was the impact of globalisation on trade unions?
- 1980s - 90s
- Many manufacturing jobs moved overseas, reducing union power
- growth of low-wage service jobs, harder to unionize
- employers used ‘union busting’ tactics such as replacing striking workers
How did the rise of automation and technology in the 1960’s-80s affect unions?
- reduced demand for skilled industrial workers
- increased job losses in manufacturing, leading to membership decline
How did deindustrialisation and the decline of the Rust Belt impact unions?
- collapse of major industrial cities e.g. Detroit and Pittsburgh led to mass jobs losses
- weakened union influence
How did the rise of non-traditional work in the 1980’s-90s affect unions?
- growth of temp agencies and contract work made traditional unionization difficult
How did the Red Scare affect labour unions?
- 1940s-50s
- fear of communism led to purges of left-wing union leaders
- The House Un-American Activities Committee investigated labour activists
- the Taft-Hartley Act required union leaders to swear they weren’t communists
- many radical unions like the United Electrical Workers lost influence
How did the Cold War affect trade unions in the US?
- heightened fears of communism led to suspicion of labour unions
- CIO expelled 11 communist-led unions in 1949-50
- union activism was discouraged, fearing ties to socialism
How did President Reagan weaken labour unions in the 1980s?
- fired 11,000 striking air traffic controllers (PACTO strike, 1981) setting a precedent for anti-union actions
- deregulation and tax cuts favoured businesses over workers
- Union membership fell to 16% of the workforce by 1990
What was the role of the AFL-CIO
- American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial organisations merged
- created a more unified labour movement
- represented 85% of union workers
- aimed to strengthen bargaining power but faced internal tensions
When was the Union Farm Workers movement what occurred?
- 1960s-70s
- founded to improve working conditions for Latino farmworkers
- organised nationwide grape boycotts (1965 - 1970) to demand better wages and protects
What was the impact of the Union Farm Workers movement?
- led to the California Agricultural Labour Relations Act 1975
- secured bargaining rights for farmworkers
How did the Civil Rights movement impact black workers and unions?
- The March on Washington 1963, pushed for equal job opportunities
- The Civil Rights Act 1964 banned discrimination in employment
- many unions remained racially segregated, limiting Black Workers opportunities
What role did women play in trade unions from 1945 - 1992?
- feminist movement pushed for equal pay and job security
- formation of the Coalition of Labour Union Women in 1974
- Women’s participate in unions grew, but leadership remained male-dominated
When was First National Maintenance Corp v NLRB and what occured?
- 1981
- First National Maintenance, a cleaning service company, closed part of its operations, leading to job losses.
- The company refused to negotiate with the union, arguing that economic decisions were not a mandatory subject of bargaining
What was ruling and the impact of National Maintenance Corp V NLRB
- supreme court ruled that management had the right to make fundamental economic decisions without union approval
- weakened unions by limiting their ability to influence major business decisions
