Did the actions of the federal government promote the consolidation of trade union rights? Flashcards
Who are the federal government?
-congress
-supreme court
-president
Describe the federal government attitudes towards the unions
-disliked them and didn’t trust them
Explain how much the government attitudes towards unions changed since 1865?
-recognised them and working/consulting with them->as a result of WW1 and WW2 and the Great Depression->wanted workers to work rather than striking so shortened the working day
-New Deal changed the government’s attitudes due to wanting to improve the economy
How will federal attitudes towards the unions change post 1945?
-want people to carry on working
What key dates are there for federal government intervention?
-Pullman Strike, 1894
-World War One, 1914-18
-Great Depression, 1929
-World War Two, 1939-45
-PATCO Strike, 1981
What was the government action to do with the Pullman Strike? When?
-1894 (same year as Plessy vs Ferguson)
-Gov action in support of workers was often unusual - except Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890: an attempt to restrict monopolies by which large companies were able to control a trade. This was the case in Pullman Strike
-Attorney general: advises the government, individual government departments and individual government ministers on legal matters
What happened with the Pullman Strike of 1894?
-Members of the Pullman company went on strike due to wages - prevented trains running across the US
-Employees in other industries also joined the strike out of sympathy->causing other strikes
-Business stopped as goods could not be transported
Why did the federal government intervene with the Pullman Strike of 1894?
-Mail was transported by rail, so the government used this as an excuse to break up the strike - ‘preventing interference of the mail’ - they issued an injunction to break the strike
-This was the Omnibus Indictment Act (1894)
-Federal government sent in troops - 2500 - 4 people were killed
What’s an injunction?
-amendment/emergency power to do something->temporary/specific thing
What was the Omnibus Indictment Act of 1894?
-prevents general strike>no sympathy strike action
-TUs can strike but can’t spread
What were the outcomes of the Pullman Strike of 1894?
-Deterred and legally prevented general strikes by the passing of the Omnibus Indictment Act (remained in force until 1935 Wagner Act)
-HINDERED
What was the government action to do with the PATCO Strike? When?
-Ronald Reagon - president in 1981 - wanted to reduce powers of unions. -He wanted to remove restrictive legislation that hindered US industry, but often protected workers
What happened with the PATCO strike of 1981?
-the government was unwilling to allow air traffic controllers to be paid more for working fewer hours
Why did the federal government intervene in the PATCO strike?
-concerned that it would have an impact on the economy
-strike was in Contravention of a 1955 Act->prevented government workers from striking->Reagan announced that if the workers did not return within 48 hours their contracts would be ended
-those who didn’t strike were augmented by supervisors and military air-traffic controllers were sped up-> turning point as it redefined industrial relations->reflected in the decline in strikes and union membership that followed
What were the outcomes of the PATCO strike of 1981?
-the government had given a clear message as to how they thought relations with unions should proceed and this was continued within the membership of the Labor Relations Board-> appointments to this board were made by the president and he ensured that those appointed supported his views and thus ensured that any disputes that went before it were likely to favour the employer
-FAILED
What was the government action to do with WW1 and WW2?
-Picketing: During a strike, workers may stand outside a place of work to discourage other workers from entering the business
What happened with WW1 and WW2?
-the increased demand in production offered employers the opportunity to increase their profits-> but meant that they had to adopt a more conciliatory attitude towards unions and their members
-wars encouraged the governments intervention in the economy which also benefited the workers-> increase in union members
Why did the federal government intervene with WW1 and WW2?
What were the outcomes with WW1 and WW2?
Who was president during the Great Depression?
FDR
What happened with the Great Depression?
Why did the federal government intervene with the Great Depression?
What were the outcomes of the Great Depression
What were the challenges from 1865-1914?
-Divisions between skilled and unskilled workers
-Leadership
-The actions of businessmen and employers
-Immigration, racial and ethnic diversity
-Militancy within the labour unions
-State and federal authorities
What was the divisions between skilled and unskilled workers due to?
-Division between skilled and unskilled workers and inequality determined by racial and ethnic difference was a barrier to solidarity
What was the Taft Hartley Act’s leadership?
-Taft Hartley Act (Labour Management Relations Act) 1947->restrained the power of trade unions, weakened CIO due to divisions between non/communists->weakened claim towards representing unskilled working classes, contributed towards the AFL-CIO merge
What was the Pullman Porters Union’s leadership?
-Pullman Porters Union->threatened march of 50,000 on Washington in June 1941
What were unions like after/during WW2?
Trade unions grew rapidly->1940: 8.9 million to 1945: 14.8 million->NWLB looked favourably on trade unions
-End of war time controls unleashed massive waves of strike->growing belief unions were becoming too powerful, anti-communist focus post 1945
-Unions became more of a political force->democrats were keen to attract the vote of organised labour, union membership trebled 1932 to 1939 by 7 million
What was the Taft Hartley Act (Labour Management Relations Act) 1947?
-made it illegal for unions to operate a ‘closed shop’ and affirmed the right of states to pass ‘right to work’ laws->regulated conduct of unions in their dealings with employers
-required to make a sworn statement of non-Communist allegiance before they could vote for members of the National Labor Relations Board
What were the actions of businessmen and employers?
-National War Labor Board (NWLB)
-‘right to work’ laws
-old tensions resurfacing
What was the NWLB’s impact on the actions on businessmen and employers?
-National War Labor Board (NWLB) est. 1941 unions in essential industries had to forego strike action for the duration of the war - adjudicated wage disputes. July->increased pressure to increase wages, permitted 15% cost of living increase; wage rise plus overtime pay boosted average industrial earnings by 70%
What were the ‘right to work’ laws’ impact on the actions of businessmen and employers?
-Numerous states in the South passed ‘right to work’ laws prohibiting the closed shop, and in 1941 Ford Motor Company finally recognised the Auto Workers Union
What tensions were there around the actions of businessmen and employers?
-When peace ensued in 1945, many old tensions between employer and employee reappeared with the federal government playing a controversial role
What was Immigration, racial and ethnic diversity’s impact on workers?
-1 million AAs found jobs during the war years
-black factory workers remained restricted to the more menial jobs->A. Philip Randolph (leader of Pullman Porters unions) threatened a march of 50,000 on Washington in 1941
-president responded with an order forbidding racial discrimination in all defence projects and creating a Fair Employment Practices Committee->but lacked enforcement powers
-black migration led to riots in several northern cities
What was the militancy within the labour unions?
-Increase in wartime production & expansion of armed forces, halting of overseas immigration led to a fall in unemployment from 1940 - 9 million-> 1943 - 783,000
What did the state and federal authorities do for TUs - factors? (9)
-New Deal
-Union action
-the Office of War and Mobilisation
-republicans
-President Truman
-CIO
-WW2
-General Motors 1948
-unemployment
What did the state and federal authorities do for TUs to do with the New Deal?
-New Deal legislation helped workers e.g. National Labor Relations Act 1935 - turning point in establishing within the law worker’s rights
What did the state and federal authorities do for TUs to do with Union action?
-Action was taken to exert control over union action->1943 President empowered to seize any plant where strike action threatened to integers with war production, made it illegal to instigate strike and required unions to give 30 day notice of all strikes
What did the state and federal authorities do for TUs to do with the Office of War and Mobilisation?
-the Office of War and Mobilisation set up in May 1943 established priorities and set production targets
What did the state and federal authorities do for TUs to do with republicans?
-Republicans won both Houses of Congress in the elections of 1946 they resolved to restrain union activity
What did the state and federal authorities do for TUs to do with Truman?
-President Truman tried to veto the Taft Hartley Act in order to retain the labour vote and he was overruled by Congress
What did the state and federal authorities do for TUs to do with CIO?
-CIO expelled 10 communist led unions in 1949 - depriving the union of 1/3rd of its members and its most capable leaders
What did WW2 do for TUs?
-WW2 control taken away from employers in order to serve the war effort - balance in favour of employees
What did General Motors 1948 do for TUs?
-General Motors 1948 - pay code linked to standard of living costs->1950 package extended to include a 5 year contract giving pensions and cost of living increases to employees. Although these were partly to avert strike action
What did unemployment do for TUs?
-Balance swung more to the workers, in post-Depression imperative to reduce unemployment and to stimulate the economy & gov need to be in control of wartime production
