Trade Unions - ND Key debate 2 : ND did the New Deal bring about an improvement in the position of workers? Flashcards
What was NIRA? What did it do?
National Industry Recovery Act (1933) was passed by government. It set up the National Recovery Administration to improve relations with employers and employees. Aimed to bring cooperation on matters like production rates, wages and working hours.
What was the NLR (national labour relations) / Wagner Act?
Passed in 1935. Gave workers the right to elect their own representatives to take part in collective bargaining, and gave workers the right to join unions. A NLRB was established, it had the power to bargain on the behalf of workers. It banned discrimination vs unions and members and gave workers more spending power, so less chance of a recession.
What happened to union membership during the period?
It grew from 3.7 million in 1933 to 9 million in 1938, shows it was a period of success.
What union became recognised after a strike at general motors in 1936?
United Automobile Workers’ Union. They had previously been resisted recognition.
What union was recognised by US Steel in 1937?
The Steel Workers Organising Committee.
What created a minimum weekly wage?
Fair Labour Standards Act of 1938.
What did the CIO do?
(Congress of Industrial Organisations) It encouraged whole industry unions and encourage AAs and other ethnic groups to join. It tried to increase unity.
What was a limitation of both NIRA and the Wagner act? (Ford)
Many employers didn’t recognise the NIRA or Wagner Act.
What happened to the NIRA in 1935?
Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional
What did employers do to keep workers down?
They used those willing to break strikes or strong-arm tactics to intimidate workers. Continued violence against workers.
Who didn’t benefit from the improvements?
Unskilled workers, particularly agricultural domestic workers and those at lower pay, nor did women, as pay differentials were held up by NIRA and the Fair Labour Standards Act of 1938.
Why were there limits to welfare reforms?
There were limits bc of conflicts between state and federal rights.
What can the overall New Deal be seen as?
Although there were some improvements, the extension to all workers hadn’t been achieved by the outbreak of the second world war.
Why was the Wagner Act / NLRA a landmark?
It was the first national law to recognise the rights of workers to take part in collective bargaining.
It established the right to join a trade union and protected workers from discrimination. It benefitted women, with 800,000 members of TUs. Union membership as a whole soared from 3.7 million to 9 million from 1933 - 38.
What was the Fair Labour Standards Act of 1938?
The main objective was to eliminate labour conditions detrimental to the maintenance of the minimum standards of living necessary for health, efficiency and well-being of workers.
It established a payment of time and a half for hours worked over 40 in a week.
Set a minimum wage.
Prohibited child labour in all industries producing goods in inter-state commerce.
