Trade Union Civil Rights Flashcards
(195 cards)
1
Q
How much did factory production increase between 1914 and 1918?
A
35%
2
Q
How much did real wages increase by between 1914-1918?
A
20%
3
Q
What happened following the WW1?
A
Upsurge of unrest, accompanied by outbreaks of extreme violence that resulted in death, injury and destruction of property.
Riots racially motivated, fuelled by influx into the labour market of returning soldiers and irrational fear of communist infiltration (peaking in 1919-20)
4
Q
Red Scare (1919-1920)
A
A brief wave of fear over the possible influence of Socialists/Bolsheviks in American life.
5
Q
Effects of Red Scare for employers relations?
A
Manifested itself in extreme reactions by employers to any kind of industrial protest which was viewed as subversive even when labour unions were exerting their recognised rights.
6
Q
Labour unions in Seattle
A
Organised general work stoppage.
Orderly protest.
Mayor of Seattle accused union leaders of attempting to cause anarchy and called for federal troops to deal with strikes.
7
Q
How many strikes were there in 1919 with how many strikers?
A
1919- 3,630
4,160,300 involved.
8
Q
Nativism
A
A policy of favoring native-born individuals over foreign-born ones
9
Q
Why were people suspicious of union leaders and industrial action in the 1920s?
A
Upsurge of nativism and fear of Communist infiltration.
10
Q
Giant corporations of the 1920s?
A
Ford, GM and Chrysler (automobiles).
General Electric’s and Westinghouse (electricity production).
US Steel (steel industry).
11
Q
Real wages
A
What wages can actually buy or pay for in any given economic situation.
12
Q
Yellow dog contracts
A
Describes the contracts signed by workers that prevented them from joining a union.
Common since the end of the 19th century.
13
Q
What reduced causes of industrial unrest in the 1920s?
A
Rise in real wages and fall in unemployment
14
Q
Welfare Capitalism
A
Conciliatory action by employers (improved working conditions, reduction in working hours, benefits like insurance and pension plans) to avert strikes and industrial unrest.
15
Q
Company Unions
A
Unions organised, supported or run by employers.
Not allowed to call strikes and did not have power to negotiate wages.
16
Q
Henry Ford & Welfare Capitalism
A
1914- reduced length of working day to 8 hours, doubled daily wage to $5 and introduced profit sharing.
1927- new factory opened, workforce remained tightly controlled and closely supervised.
17
Q
Ford’s Protection Department
A
Employed strong-armed security men who watched over potential union organisers, intimidating and adulting them.
18
Q
When did the Ford Company recognise labour unions?
A
1941 for the purpose of collective bargaining
19
Q
How many strikes were there in 1921 compared to 1929?
A
1921- 2,385
1929- 921
20
Q
The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids (BSCP)
A
Labour union organised by mostly AA Pullman porters.
Began 1925 by Philip Randolph.
First AA led labour organisation to be accepted into the AFL
21
Q
Why was the campaign for the BSCP as a Company union lengthy?
A
Opposed by both the Pullman Company, but also by many AA themselves.
22
Q
Who was one of the arrest employers of AA in the 1920s and 30s?
A
Pullman Company
23
Q
What made up most of the porters income whilst working for the Pullman Company?
A
Tips- humiliating in that it made them dependent on the condescension of white passengers.
24
Q
How much time did porters spend on setting up and cleaning up duties at the beginning and end of journeys?
A
10% and it was unpaid
25
What accounted for half of the porters wages?
Food, lodging and uniforms which they had to pay for themselves.
If things were stolen they had to stand the cost.
26
Pullman coaches
More comfortable and luxurious passenger carriages on a train occupied on lengthy journeys
27
How did the Pullman Company stop unionisation during the first decades of the 20th century?
Isolating or sacking union leaders.
Employed large number of employee spies who informed the company of employees' activities; sometimes agents assaulted union organisers.
28
When was there another effort to unionise by the porters?
25 August 1925
500 porters
Launched campaign in secret and chose an outside, Philip Randolph, to lead it.
Motto, 'Fight or Be Slaves'
29
Resistance from the Pullman Company
Denounced new union as outside agency influenced by foreign ideologies.
Sponsored own company union (Employee Representation Plan/ Pullman Porters and Maids Protective Association) to represent loyal employees.
Company had support from local authorities to ban meeting of BSCP, continued to be undeterred.
30
How many porters were in the BSCP?
Around half the porters within the Company
31
How did the BSCP defeat the Company?
1934- because of a law change the BSCP was in a position to claim that it was the only legitimate union to represent porters.
Randolph demanded that the NMB should certify it as the representative of these porters.
BSCP defeated the company union and was certified on 1 June 1935.
32
When did the BSCP sign its first collective bargaining agreement with the Pullman Company?
1937
33
National Mediation Board (NMB)
Independent agency of the US government established to regulate labour relations in the railway industry.
Purpose to bring speedy settlements to disputes that arose through collective bargaining, arbitration or mediation to avert strike action.
34
Unemployment in 1929 and 1933
1929- 3%
1933- 25%
Daily increase of 12,000, reaching 13 million by 1933.
35
The Great Depression effect of labour rights
Increased conflict between employers and workers.
Incidents of strikes, sit-ins and the occupation of factories increased.
Employers called in he police or employed their own strike-breakers as a result.
36
How much of the workforce was unionised by 1933?
10%
37
National Industry Recovery Act (NIRA)
16 June 1933
The chief measure to promote recovery.
Set up the National Recovery Administration (NRA) and set prices, wages, work hours, and production for each industry.
Based on theory that regulation of the economy would allow industries to return to full production, thereby leading to full employment and a return of prosperity.
38
AIM of NRA
Foster co-operation between different sides of industry by developing agreed codes of practise about issues such as production levels, wage rates, working hours, prices and trade union rights.
39
Most significant law from NRA
Gave workers the right to organise trade unions and take part in collective bargaining
40
Companies apart of NRA displayed what?
Blue eagle symbol
41
How many codes had been passed by 1934?
557 codes, covering 23 million workers
42
Why was Roosevelt nervous of empowering organised labour?
Potential political advantages in increasing Democrat support
Also involved implicit reduction in the control of industrialists over their workforce.
43
Wagner's aim with the National Labour Relations Act of 1935 (or Wagner Act)?
To regulate and reduce labour disputes by providing a structure for collective bargaining.
Reducing picket line violence and avoid the disruption to production that was caused by strikes.
Believed legislation was only way to combat the ability of powerful industrialists to subvert attempts to give workers rights.
44
Significance of the Wagner Act
First piece of national legislation to recognise the right of workers to elect own representatives for collective bargaining.
Gave workers right to join trade unions.
Banned spies and blacklisting 'agitators'.
Set up NLRB.
45
National Labour Relations Board (NLBR)
1935
Five man government agency that addresses unfair labour practises in private sector employment.
Had the power to bargain on behalf of the workers, to stop companies from using blacklists and company unions and re-instate unfairly dismissed workers.
Implemented 8 hour day (change from Lochner v New York)
46
Trade union membership in 1933 and 1938
1933- 3.7 million
1938- 9 million
47
The Fair Labour Standards Act of 1938
Created $25 minimum weekly wage for industrial workers and a payment of time and a half for hours worked in excess of 40 per week.
Prohibited employment of children under 16 years.
48
What led to the formation of the CIO?
The AFL was predominantly interested in amalgamating craft unions to the exclusion of unskilled labour.
49
Did the Wagner Act end disputes?
No- disputes between employers and employees continued.
Divisions within trade union itself continued to deprive the mass of unskilled workers of their rights.
50
Congress of Industrial Organisations (CIO)
1935
Set about the task of organising labour in the mass-production industries (steel, automobile and glass).
Gathered 3.7 million members
51
New form of protest by the end of the 1930s
'Sit-in' or 'sit-down' strikes.
Used effectively in 1937 to gain recognition from car manufacturers of the right of their workers to join a union, only Henry Ford held out until 1941.
52
CIO and equality
Black workers and other ethnic groups benefited from the opportunity to join the CIO, as did women's unions.
CIO consistent support for equality of labour gave AA the confidence to take part in strikes.
53
Which type of workers did the New Deal legislation help?
Skilled workers.
Made a significant impact on the unionisation of workers, thereby extending their rights in the workplace.
54
Ethnic groups and the Wagner Act
Continued to face discrimination in the workplace.
Exacerbated by agricultural policies of the New Deal which resulted in the eviction of large numbers of black and Hispanic Americans who had migrated to the cities for work.
No new employment opportunities for NAs.
55
Fair Employment Practices Commission
1941 by Roosevelt.
An attempt to eliminate racial and ethnic discrimination in war-time industries.
56
Women and the Wagner Act
Position of women not improved.
Number of women's unions had been formed and even though NIRA and the Fair Labour Standards Act (1938) had established a minimum wage, it upheld differentials in pay between men and women.
57
Welfare reforms and Wagner Act
Helped some of the poorer paid.
Attempts by Fed Govt to help those in need were constantly thwarted by the conflict between states' rights and federal government.
AA women experienced the harshness of this especially
58
Number of strikes in 1930 and 1946
1930- 637
1946- 4,985
59
Union membership in 1930 and 1945
1930- 3,401,000
1945- 14,322,000
60
What happened to industry during WW2?
Effectively taken away from manufacturers and owners.
Weakening of employers tipped the balance in favour of the workers since their effort was essential to the war effort.
61
Food production during WW2
Rose by nearly a 1/3 and manufacturing output doubled.
62
Aircraft production in WW2
2000 in 1939 to 96,000 in 1944
300,000 aircraft's in total during the war
63
Offices of War Mobilisation
Setup in May 1943.
Established priorities and set production targets, centralising planning and direction of industry.
64
National War Labour Board (NWLB)
Established in 1941 by Fed Govt in response to the willingness of unions in essential industries to give up strike action for the duration of WW2.
Function was to control wage increases.
65
Trade unions in 1940 and 1945
1940-8.9 million
1945- 14.8 million
66
Unemployment in 1940 and 1943? How?
June 1940- 9 million
Sept 1943- 783,000
Increased war time production, expansion of armed forces and halting of overseas immigration
67
Labour shortages during WW2
Provided employment opportunities for young people,the handicapped, women and AA's.
68
Women in work over the war
Increased by 50%
By 1943 they made up 1/3 of the total workforce
Represented 40% of workers on aircraft assembly lines
Paid less and both unions and management opposed the principle of equal pay.
69
How many AA found industrial jobs during WW2?
More than 1 million
70
WW2 impact on black labour?
Black factory workers remained restricted to more menial jobs.
Philip Randolph threatened a march of 50,000 on Washington in June 1941.
President responded with an order forbidding racial discrimination and created Fair Employment Practices Committee (lacked enforcement powers)
71
What did the end of wartime release?
Massive wave of strikes.
72
Taft-Hartley Act (Labor Management Relations Act)
1947
Made it illegal for unions to operate a 'closed shop' and affirmed the right for states to pass 'right to work' laws.
Restrained the powers of trade unions and sought to purge organised labour of Communists.
73
Effect of Taft Hartley Act on CIO
Weakened the CIO particularly whose origins were based on some support from the Communist Party.
Divisions between non-Communist and Communist weakened the CIO.
Compounded when CIO expelled 10 Communist-led unions in 1949, depriving the organisation of 1/3 of its members and also some capable leaders. Weakened the claim of the CIO to represent the interests of unskilled working classes and contributed to the amalgamation of the CIO with the AFL in 1955.
74
Republicans and Trade Unions
In passing the Taft-Hartley Act, the Republicans made it clear that they had no desire to court the support of the unions and their membership.
Very apparent when President Truman attempted to veto the Act in order to retain the labour vote and he was overruled by Congress.
75
Positive outcomes of the long running struggle between employees and General Motors
1948-a pay code linked to standard of living costs was introduced.
1950- package extended to include a 5 year contract giving pensions and cost of living increases to employees.
Employers strategy to avert strike action.
76
The rose in GNP between 1950 and 1960
1950- $318 billion
1960- $488 billion
77
The average workers income was how much higher than in 1945 and than in the 1920s?
35% higher than in 1945
200% higher than in 1920
78
Between 1945 and 1960
The number of hours and workers needed to produce a car fell by 50%.
First nuclear power plant opened in 1957.
The chemical industry became the 4th largest US industry and electronics the 5th.
In 1944, International Business Machines (IBM) produced the Mark 1 calculator. By the mid-1960s, more than 30,000 main frame computers were being used by banks and insurance companies. Computers enabled fewer workers to produce more goods in less time than ever.
79
Blue-collar workers
Wage earners in manual, industrial jobs
80
Why was there a decrease in the number of blue-collar workers?
As a result of automation replacing more and more workers in the steel, coal and automobile industries.
81
By how much did blue-collar trade unions decrease?
50%, reflecting the reduction in the size of the workforce resulting from this new technology.
82
What sectors were newly created jobs concentrated in?
White-collar and service sectors of the economy and in public employment.
83
Where were white-collar workers concentrated?
In federal, state or local government.
84
What made it difficult for white-collar workers to unionise?
They signed no-strike agreements and were often barred from joining trade unions.
85
Drop in labour force in 1953 to 1960
1953- 36%
1960- 31%
86
Why could it be argued that there was sense of complacency?
Partly as a result of the benefits which had previously been hard earned at the negotiating table in the 1930 and during the war years but also as a result of post-war economic growth.
Millions of American workers now enjoyed higher wage levels than ever before with an average working week of less than 40 hours.
87
When did the AFL and CIO merge?
1955, bringing 85% of union members into a single unit (AFL-CIO)
88
What did the merger of the AFL and CIO mean?
Great solidarity within the labour movement.
Unions supported the different sectors of the workforce.
89
Migrant farm workers
Mainly labourers without permanent employment who moved around in search of largely seasonal farm work, such as harvesting or fruit picking. At other times of the year they struggle to survive.
90
How many Americans lived below the poverty line in 1960?
35 million (20% of the population)
91
How many migrant farm workers lived in extreme poverty?
2 million
92
How many Americans lived in depressed rural areas?
1/3
93
What did JFK announce at the 1960 Democrat Convention?
The theme of 'The New Frontier'- reform at home and victory abroad.
94
Why did Kennedy have trouble enacting his New Frontier proposals?
Lack of support in Congress- frequently opposed by a coalition of Republicans and southern Democrats.
95
What bill did Congress reject in 1961?
A bill that increased the minimum wage.
Those workers already subjected to the Act saw their hourly rate marginally increased from $1.15 in Sept 1961 to $1.25 in Sept 1963.
96
How did Kennedy attempt to redress the problems of inflation?
Succeeded in persuading the Steelworkers' Union to accept a non-inflationary contract with employers that included an acceptance of minimal rises in wages.
Employers failed to keep agreement not to raise steel prices so the workers lost out since they were not able to benefit from the increased profit level.
97
Equal Pact Act of 1963
Made wage discrimination on the basis of gender illegal and established the principle of 'equal pay for equal work'.
The act was an amendment to The Fair Labour Standards Act (1938)
98
Salaries of women compared to men increase
By 1970, the earnings were equal to 62% of male earrings in 1970 rising to 80% in 2004.
99
What was Lyndon Johnson's Great Society?
The Great Society was a set of domestic programs in the United States launched by Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964-65. The main goal was the elimination of poverty and racial injustice.
100
The Civil Rights Act
Of July 1964
Prohibited discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. This benefitted AA's, Hispanics and other ethnic groups who had faced discrimination in jobs and in the workplace.
101
The Economic Opportunities Act
1964
Established the Office of Economic Opportunities to fund and co-ordinate a job corps to attract and train young people in vocation skills or to provide education that would prepare them for further education in order to increase their employability.
102
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act
Of 1968
Prohibited employment discrimination in hiring and firing against persons of between 40 and 65 years old in the US.
The Act covered promotions, wage levels and lay offs. It also became illegal to include a statement of age preferences in job notices and advertisements and the denial of benefits to older employees.
103
Membership of the AFL-CIO in 1955
16 million workers.
104
What were established unions able to do in the 1960's?
Bargain successfully with leading firms in industries such as autos, steel, trucking and chemicals.
Contracts were periodically negotiated covering workplace relations and regulations for promotions and layoffs as well as procedures giving workers opportunities to voice grievances before neutral arbitrations.
105
Bargain successfully with leading firms in industries such as autos, steel, trucking and chemicals.
Contracts were periodically negotiated covering workplace relations and regulations for promotions and layoffs as well as procedures giving workers opportunities to voice grievances before neutral arbitrations.
By over 2% per year
106
How much did union workers earn compared to non-union workers of similar age?
Around 20% more
107
Benefits unions won over the 1960s
Medical and dental insurance, paid holidays and vacations, unemployment insurance and pensions.
108
How much more benefits were unionised employers given that non-unionised employers?
60%
Non-unions employers tried to match the benefit packages won by unions.
109
Why did the black civil right movement challenge union organisations in the USA?
On one hand, they were fundamentally concerned with the acquisition and preservation of rights, therefore, were instinctively supportive of the movement.
On the other hand, in the case of the majority of major unions, their practises had been fundamentally racist.
110
What was the key concern for unskilled workers in the 1950s and 60s?
Introduction of new technology into industry.
111
Effects of introduction of new technology into industry ?
Reduced the size of the workforce.
Demanded new skills and higher levels of education, exposed poor standards of education available to black people.
112
AFL-CIO and AA civil rights
Strongly supported the civil rights movement.
Funded civil rights organisations and lobbying políticas for legislation.
Encouraged unions to abandon policies that discriminated, lost support from affiliated unions in the southern states like Mississippi
113
Failure of AFL-CIO with aiding AA workers
Pursued a non-racial policy, black workers were poorly represented on the leadership body.
Small affiliated unions did not necessarily follow the policy.
114
Racism in Ford Motors
Out for total workforce of 7,665 workers, only 74 were black.
115
How many black people held apprenticeships in skilled trades by 1969?
About 3%.
Plumbers, electricians and carpenters were traditionally exclusively white.
116
% of the workforce in unions in 1955 and 1965
1955- 33.2
1965-28.4
117
How many people in unions were apart of AFL-CIO
85%
118
When did PATCO call a strike?
3rd August 1981
119
PATCO
Professional Air Traffic Controllers
120
What was the intention of PATCO's strike?
Intention of bringing air traffic to a standstill all over the US.
121
What did air traffic controllers want?
$10,000 wage rise.
Shorter working week (32 hours instead of 40)
Better retirement benefits
122
How many workers obeyed the call and walk out?
13000 out of 17500
123
When did negotiations begin?
February 1981
124
Who were the negotiations with?
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
125
What idea was unacceptable to federal government?
That workers should be paid more for working fewer hours
126
When did the strike purposefully coincide with?
Summer vacation- the busiest time of the year
127
What was the potential impact of the strike?
Devastating impact on commercial air traffic and, therefore, to potentially damage the national economy.
128
What law were the controllers breaking by going on strike?
A law passed in 1955 that banned government workers from taking strike action.
129
What did Reagan announce the same day the strike started?
That if the workers did not return inn 48 hours, their contacts of employment would be terminated.
130
What did the striking workers receive?
Termination of their employment and a lifelong employment ban
131
What did this show about Reagan?
Man of his word
132
How many replacement staff were sent to help the non-striking workers?
3,000 supervisors and 900 military air traffic controllers to minimise the disruption and keep the majority of America's air traffic moving.
133
What was accelerated to help air traffic workers?
Training programmes to provide permanent replacements
134
How did the public react to the strikers and why?
Little sympathy because they saw the actions of these already well-paid workers as being against the public interest.
135
What did the AFL-CIO brand Reagan?
'Union buster'
136
Why were other unions angry at PATCO?
The illegal action of PATCO had brought them all into disrepute
137
What happened to PATCO's leaders?
Sent to prison for ignoring court injunctions banning the strike and huge fines were subsequently levied against them.
Destroying the union.
138
What happened to incidences of strike action after the Air Traffic Controllers' strike?
Significantly declined.
139
What was the decline in strike action indicative of?
Changes were taking place in attitudes towards organised labour and that the power and influence of the unions in the closing decades of the 20th century were diminishing.
140
What are the key indicators of the diminishing power and influence of TU's in the closing decades of the 20th century?
Apparent hostility of the Republican govt to organised labour by the President.
Change of tactics by employers in dealing with industrial disputes- blatant deployment of 'scab' labour.
Lack of any expression of solidarity from other workers.
Negativity of public opinion towards striking workers who perceived to be holding the country to ransom.
141
Membership of industrial unions in 1970 and 1990?
1970- 27%
1990- 12%
142
Incidences of major stoppages due to strikes in 1970 and 1980 and 1995?
1970- 381
1980- 187
1995- 31
143
What are these figures indicative of?
The decline of workers' organisations that performed a crucial role in ensuring the rights of workers besides exerting considerable political influence.
144
% of people in workforce in 1970, 1980 and 1990?
1970- 27.3%
1980- 21.9%
1990- 16.%
145
What 4 reasons can help explain the weakening of organised labour?
The changing economy and structure of American industry
Changing composition of the workforce
The shift in the 'balance of power' between employers and labour unions.
Changing political attitudes and policies.
146
Union membership in 1932 and 1939
1932- 2 million
1939- 9 million
Trebled
147
Why was there a slowing to economic growth by the mid-1970s?
Increase in foreign competition in manufacturing industry is that reduced the demand for home produced goods and therefore profits.
Rising inflation that increased production costs as well a consumer prices, reducing further the competitive capability of American industries.
148
How much had price risen by 1979?
13%
149
How much did real wages fall of semis-skilled and unskilled workers?
80% and a rise in unemployment
150
What shrunk the workforce and reduced the demand for unskilled labour?
Further expansion of the high-tech industry, creating an increasing need for skilled workers.
151
How much did salaries of chief executives rise?
340%
152
What happened to poorer people during Reagan's administration?
Reductions in welfare benefits which increased their need to hold on to whatever work they could get.
153
What was the outcome of increased competition and reduction in productivity?
Resulted in the rationalisation of large manufacturing industries into small concerns in order to reduce unit costs so making them more competitive.
154
Where did businesses move?
Relocated into more rural areas outside the major urban conurbations marking the end of the massive industrial enterprises that had been the norm.
155
Where in America did the smaller firms move to and why?
South and south-west, a traditionally anti-unionist area.
156
What was the affect of relocation?
Involved a reduction in the size of enterprise and of its workforce.
157
How did the economic change effect solidarity of workers?
Greater dispersal and fragmentation of the workforce which was not conductive to the promotion of solidarity.
158
How did relocation of business effect unionisation?
Concentration of large number of workers in one place of work generally became a thing of the past- trade union organisation and recruitment more difficult.
159
How was the unskilled workforce divided culturally and ethnically?
Existing immigrants, Hispanic and AA workers were augmented by a new wave of immigrants from Asia in the closing decades of the century , many of whose were unskilled and prepared to work for low wages.
160
How did the cultural and ethnic divisions effect trade unions?
Served only to exacerbate long established divisions.
Workers were either not interested in union membership, or were prepared to wok for employers who operated non-unionised businesses.
161
How many white collar workers were there in 1960 compared to 1980?
1960-30.5 million
1980- 50.5 million
162
Why were white-collar workers less well disposed to trade union membership than blue-collar workers?
Many benefited from generous welfare schemes provided by their employers and so were more inclined towards supporting them rather than embarking on union activity.
163
What were the positives for non-unionised firms?
Greater flexibility when it came to the negotiation of wage levels.
Kept production costs lower, potentially increased profit margins and enabled them to be more competitive.
164
What did employers start doing?
Increasing tendency for employers to flout the law in their dealings with workers by denying them their rights, especially in relation to wage agreements as well a working hours and conditions.
165
What encouraged this trend?
That employers could get away with it
166
What made employers risk flouting the law?
The NLRB processed claims so slowly that it gave a clear signal to employers that they could risk pushing at the boundaries of the laws .
Workers failing to protest.
167
What was indicative of the waning influence of the NLRB by the late 1970s?
The elected membership had fewer union leaders in its ranks than in earlier times. Consequently, it showed itself less ell disposed to meet union demands.
168
Where had the 'balance of power' been swung by the late 1980s?
From the labour unions and in favour of the employers.
169
Who party did unions tend to support?
Democrats who had appreciated this close association since, when union membership was high, it usually guaranteed them the working-class vote.
170
What happened to the relationship between unions and the Democrats?
By late 1970s as membership declined and the unions could no longer claim to represent the masses, their value to the Democrats diminished.
171
What happened to the power of organised labour without political support?
Significantly reduced.
172
What did Nixon's policy of Affirmative action do for workers?
For black and immigrant workers as well as those from other ethnic groups by challenging discrimination in employment.
173
Occupational Safety and Health Act
1970
Established health and safety regulations in the workplace.
174
Why was the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 a success?
As the labour unions were successful in ensuring that the responsibility for setting standards for health and safety rested with the Department of Labour not an independent board that might be swayed by employers.
175
What did President Jimmy Carter do in 1977?
Congress established the hourly minimum wage at $2.65
176
What did President Carter fail to do at the behest of who?
By 1978 the attempts by the AFL-CIO to persuade Carter to introduce reforms to the National Labour Relations Act (1935) failed
177
What does Carters actions reflect?
The extent to which the Democrats were more interested in gaining the support of employers rather than the workers.
178
What did Ronald Reagan from the offset make clear?
Clearly set out to curb the power of the unions
179
Why did Reagan want to curb the power of unions?
He wanted to revitalise American industry by lifting restrictive regulations imposed by the Fed Govt. on business and giving greater autonomy to employers.
Another fundamental principle of his economic policy was the privatisation of publicity owned businesses and service.
180
Who chose the members of the Labour Relations Board?
President
181
Who dominated the Labour Relations Board during Reagan's presidency?
By officials who were agreement with his radical position- increased likelihood that judgements made in disputes were more likely to be decided in favour oof the employer.
182
What sector saw an upsurge in trade union membership in the 1970s?
Public sector- including teachers, bank employees and municipal workers.
183
What did the AFL-CIO do in response to the upsurge of public sector employees joining unions?
Created a public service department within its organisation.
184
When and who was the first nationwide strike of public employees?
1970- when the US Postal Workers took industrial action.
185
Who went on strike in 1972 and over what?
Teachers in response to the reduction in real wages.
186
When was the first legal public sector strike and by who?
1975- the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
Involved 80,000 members
187
What was public opinion towards the strike of public sector employees?
Alienated public opinion because of its immediately negative impact on their lives.
188
What were the strikes between the mid 70s until 1992?
Majority were localised and small scale
189
Coalition of Black Trade Unions (CBTU)
1972
Represented 37 national unions
Assembly of 1,200 black trade unionists was the first and largest of its kind.
190
What was the purpose of the CBTU?
To consider where the trade unions should place the support in the forthcoming presidential elections but it also sought to establish the position of black trade unions within the labour movement since there was a strong belied that the AFL-CIO was not sufficiently committed to supporting black unions and black workers.
191
Women's Trade Union League (WTUL)
Earliest formal women's trade union organisation established in 1903.
Under the leadership of Mary Kenny O'Sullivan and Rose Schneiderman.
192
What was the WTUL focussed on?
On encouraging and supporting women in organising themselves into unions and also on opposing sweatshop working conditions. The latter was spurred on by the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.
193
How did the WTUL achieve their aims?
Incorporated pressure for the franchise, recognising that women need political influence to bring about the legislation that would provide protection at work.
194
Who was the WTUL at odds with?
At odds it's male trade union organisations and especially the AFL who opposed the idea of legislation which they saw as usurping the role of trade union negotiation.
195
Who supported the WTUL during the New Deal?
Eleanor Roosevelt, she was a member herself of the WTUL
