1950-1969

Question 1

What happened the US during the 1950s and 1960s?

Answer 1

• US passed through a period of unrivalled prosperity and economic expansion
• 60% of American Families owned their homes
• The average person’s income was 35% higher than in 1945
• Millions of American workers now enjoyed higher wage levels than ever before and many received additional benefits such as paid vacations and healthcare
• In 1955 the merge of the AFL and CIO bought 85% of union members into a single unit

Question 2

Why were labour rights in danger?

Answer 2

• Rapid economic change brought about by new technology and new working practices completely transformed the labor movement
• Especially the decrease in the number of blue collar workers ( wage earners in manual jobs) as a result of automation replacing more and more workers in steel and coal industries
• in the 1950s, trade union membership dropped by more than 50%
• Newly created jobs were concentrated in white collar sectors of the economy

Question 3

What were the growing poverty problems?

Answer 3

• 35 million Americans lived below the poverty line ( the limit below which it is barely possible to maintain even a basic standard of living)

Question 4

What was JFK’s idea of a New Frontier and how did it impact labor rights?

Answer 4

• Was a set of social reforms that advocated for policies aimed at improving workers’ conditions, promoting fair labor standards, and protecting union rights.
• In his attempts to address the problems of inflation he succeeded in persuading the Steelworkers Union to accept a non inflationary contract with its employers which included acceptance of minimal rises in wages
• issued the equal pay act of 1963 which established the principle of equal pay for equal work
• supported union rights and collective bargaining, reinforcing the ability of workers to negotiate for better wages and conditions, for example his executive order in 1962, granted federal employees the right to unionize and bargain collectively
• His lack of support in congress meant that his reform agenda was frequently opposed by southern Democrats

Question 5

What was Johnson’s vision of a Great Society?

Answer 5

• Launched his idea of a Great Society in 1963 and had support from labor unions
• His first priority was to reduce the number of people living below the poverty line, he achieved this by creating millions of new jobs
• issued Civil rights act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, gender and religion
• Issued the economic opportunity act 1964, which established programs like the Job Corps, which provided job training for disadvantaged youth,
• Issued Coal Mine Health and Safety Act in 1969 , This act improved safety standards in coal mines and provided compensation for miners suffering from black lung disease
• However he faced challenges such as globalization was beginning to reshape the workforce, creating dislocation that training programs only partially addressed

Question 6

What were union gains in the 1960s?

Answer 6

• AFL-CIO in 1955 had a combined membership of 16 million
• American Unions began to bargain over wages and working conditions
• Wages rose steadily by 2% per year
• Unions also won a growing list of benefits including medical and dental insurance, paid holidays and pensions