Trade unions Flashcards
KOL
Knights of labour 1869
KOL aims?
Wanted eight hour day, equal pay for women, abolition of child labour. Working through reform based strategies rather than using strikes
KOL members?
Aimed to unite skilled at unskilled workers welcoming women and blacks
KOL demise?
Membership fell due to a slump in the economy and after the Haymarket affair (1886)
Internal divisions led to unions joining the “wobblies”
The Wobblies
Industrial workers of the world
Wobblies methods and demise
More minutes and using violence and sabotage
1924 led to internal divisions which broke its strength
AFL method and people
American Federation of labour 1886
Replaced Knights of Labour
Links all unions working through reform and strike based methods
1890 - act
Sherman anti-trust act
Antimonopoly act designed to protect the interests of small traders
Declared illegal any combination attempting to stop trade therefore making unions illegal
1895 Strike
Pullman Strike
Army and marshals sent in as President Cleveland wanted the trains moving again
Violated the Sherman anti-trust act
Restricting right to act
1895 Supreme Court case
US vs E.C. Knight
Allowed big companies to control trade clearing the way for the monopolies to develop
Monopolies restrict the rights of workers
1902 - Strike
Coal Strike by the United Mineworkers
Theodore Roosevelt gave in to the demands of the miners offering higher wages and shorter hours
However he did not include recognition of the unions as a bargaining tool
Supreme Court case 1905
Lochner versus New York
Deemed a new York law setting maximum working hours was unconstitutional and that it is a violation of the 14th Amendment
Beginning of the Lochner era
1908 supreme Court case
Loewe v Lawler
In 1902 Hatters Union boycotted hats made by non-union company
Court ruled the union was responsible and had to pay damages of $252,130
Set precedent for further prosecutions
Right to act and exist restrained
1914 act
Clayton anti-trust act
And it the Sherman anti-trust act
Positive for unions
1917 act
Espionage act
Industrial workers of the world repressed using this act
Treated as spies
Fear fuelled by the fear of communism due to Russian Revolution
1922 injunction
Daugherty injunction
Following a row Road strike the Supreme Court is she the sweeping injunction against striking, Assembling, picketing and a variety of other union activities
Restrains the right to act
1932 act
Norris- La Guardia act
Positive-outlawed yellow dog contracts
Enables workers to form labour unions without employer interference and withdrew from the federal court the power to issue injunctions in non-violent labour disputes
New deal-act 1935
Wagner act
Workers were given the right to form and join trade unions
The national labour relations board was set up to investigate and punish those companies bosses who did not abide by the rules
RIGHT TO EXIST AND BARGAIN
Supreme Court case 1937
West coast hotel versus Parrish
Rude state could impose minimum wage regulations on private employers
Ended Lochner era
NLU
National labour union 1866
Attempted to unify craft unions
Wanted eight hour day, currency and banking reforms, and an end of convicted labour and immigration restrictions
Fell apart after a failed leading to a realisation for political reforms
Roosevelt’s new deal - 1933 act
The national industrial recovery act 1933
Guaranteed to work as the rights of collective-bargaining and helped spur some union organising activity
Roosevelt’s new deal - 1935 act
Wagner act - workers given the right to form and join a trade union is as well as take part in collective-bargaining
The National Labour Relations Board set up twin this to gate punish those who did not abide by the rules
1937 Supreme Court case
West coast hotel versus Parrish
Road states could impose minimum wage regulations on private employers without violating the Constitution is 14th amendment
Ended “Lochner era”
1947 act
Taft Hartley act
Revised Wagner act to include restrictions on unions as well as management demanded by public after wartime
Prompted by post war strikes seeming to have damaged the country as a fear of communism crept in
Truman attempted to Vito
Bandit secondary boycotts of businesses and unions need to give 60 days notice before striking
Negates their right to bargain
1957 act
Landrum Griffin act
Banned secondary picketing
1963 act
Equal pay act
Made wage discrimination due to gender illegal
Fear of communism makes government neglect unions rights however still benefits members of the unions
1964 act
Civil rights act
Prohibited discrimination on grounds of race, colour, religion, sex or national origin
Government passes laws beneficial to union members bypassing unions due to fear of communism
1964 act - economy
Funded and coordinated job corps to provide locational training or education for young people
1968 act
The age discrimination in employment act
Prohibiting discrimination against people between 40 and 60 years old
1981 strike
Air-traffic controller strike
4000 striking
Reagan threatens to sack them all if they don’t stop
Ends up sacking all of them
1873 strike and union
Molly Maguire - Irish immigrant Union
Strike led to murders and damage to property ruining credibility of unions
1877 strike
Railroad strike
Affects the whole nation
25 deaths and millions of dollars worth of damage causing federal troops to be brought in
1920s summary
Prosperity brought substantial gains to workers without needing the unions
Decline in hours of work, real wages increased, unemployment fell
Good for the workers and the unions but they weren’t needed
1919
Red Scare bcs of Russian Revolution
32 states banned laws making the “Wobblies” an illegal organisation
1935-36 strike
The Flint strike
United Automobile Workers used “sit downs” to secure Union recognition from all manufacturers except ford
Federal and state governments no longer willing to use force
Roosevelt particularly sympathetic
1938 act (mentioned in women)
Fair labour standards act
Minimum wage, max working week, forbade child labour
Impact of WW2?
Wages increased by 70%
Union membership doubled as a result
1943 strike and act that follows?
Lewis strike - unpatriotic as in war time and fear of communism beginning to spread
Smith-Connally Act - president could seize any plant where there threatened to be a strike
Impact of 1960s technological revolution
Changes in work force and nature of work
Adversely affected TU membership
