LABOUR 50S-70S Flashcards
What was the impact of the 1955 AFL-CIO merger?
1955 AFL-CIO merger brought 85% of unions under one collective. Militancy disappeared but new solidarity in labour movement. The UAW withdrew from the AFL-CIO merger in 1968 and formed the Alliance for Labour Action merger with Jimmy Hoffa’s International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Only two unions formed in the 1960s.
How did union membership decline by 1970?
In the 1960s union membership fell to 27.3% by 1970.
What conflict did Kennedy have with US Steel in 1962?
In 1962 Kennedy urged the Steel Industry to accept non-inflationary prices as they offered non-inflationary wages to workers. United States Steel then increased steel prices by $6 a ton, causing Kennedy to attack their actions and order Dept of Defence to only grant contracts to firms which didn’t raise prices. He feared impact on economy.
What struggle did migrant workers face?
Migrant workers struggled, working only 140 days a year and earning $1000 annually. In 1964 Congress prohibited importation of temporary farm labourers from Mexico.
What advantage did unionised workers have after AFL-CIO merger?
Following 1955 CIO-AFL merger, unions were able to negotiate and bargain over conditions. In the 1960s wages rose by 2% a year and unionised workers earned 20% more on average compared to non-unionised workers of same experience. Unions provided benefits such as unemployment insurance, medical insurance, paid holidays, pensions etc.
How did AFL-CIO support civil rights and what were limits?
AFL-CIO funded civil rights organisations and lobbied organisations for change, losing Southern support. In 1950s-60s higher education needed for higher skilled jobs, highlighting poor education to black people.
Affiliated unions didn’t always uphold AFL-CIO values and black workers unrepresented on leadership. In Ford Motors of 7665 workers only 74 were black while in 1969 black people only made 3% of skilled apprentices. Difficult to enter craft unions.
How did economy change in 50s?
1950-60 – GNP rose from $318 billion to $488 billion. 60% of Americans owned a home and 75% owned cars. Average worker income rose 35% from 1945 and 200% from 1920s.
What was the poverty problem in the 60s?
By 1960 35 million under poverty line and 1/3 of poor lived in rural areas with two million migrant farm workers in extreme poverty. When affluent moved to suburbs, urban areas became populated by poor, such as Harlem in New York where a dozen shared small apartments. Illiteracy and disease, alongside drug abuse, significantly higher than average.
What wealth gap was there in the 60s?
60s: Top 20% of population owned 77% of its wealth. Earned 28 times what bottom 20% earned. 43% of African Americans were classed as poor.
After WWII how did workers lives change?
Workers enjoyed new prosperity after war and most worked less than 40 hours. Welfare capitalism led to paid vacations, healthcare, and wage rises linked to living costs.
What technological changes came in the 50s-60s?
Number of hours and workers needed to produce a car in the 1950s fell by 50%, and the chemical industry became the fourth largest US industry. In 1944 IBM introduced the Mark 1 calculator and by the 1960s 30,000 main-frame computers used by banks and insurance companies, requiring fewer workers.
What was the impact of technological change on blue collar workers in the 50s and 60s?
Blue collar workers declined by more than 50% as automation replaced them in coal and steel industries. Rise in white-collar and service sector workers who were linked to federal, state, or local government and signed no-strike agreements or were barred from unions. Rise in women who felt unions for men. Organised labour fell from 36% of work force in 1953 to 31% by 1960.
What was Kennedy’s New Frontier?
Kennedy introduced New Frontier at Los Angeles Democratic Convention, 1960, focusing on containing communism abroad, alongside expanding social welfare and social security benefits, alongside rising minimum wage. Failed to produce radical change due to Congress.
Why did Kennedy fail?
Why Kennedy failed: lacked power in the Senate like Johnson did, narrow victory in 1960 and wanted second victory in 1964, advisors criticised for making last minute decisions and coming from elite educational institutions, Congress worked slow.
Outline Johnson’s overall presidency.
President Johnson became President in 1964 and his Great Frontier used self-help to advance poor people and give them a chance to overcome poverty. In 1965 the Immigration Act was also passed to permit more non-European immigrants.
