Unions Flashcards
Definition of Labor Union
An association of wage-earners working to maintain/improve the conditions employment
What do unions do (four areas of activity)?
- Member benefits
- Collective Bargaining
- Strike
- Politics
Roughly, when did labor strikes begin in the U.S., over what issues?
1677 over prosecution of strikers (NYC)
Know the laws passed in 1938
- Fair Labor Standards Act
- Minimum wage, 40 hour weeks, regulation of child labor
Know the trends in union membership since 1930
In 1935, 13% was unionized
In 1937, 28% was unionized
Wagner Act: You can’t be fired for trying to create a union
WWII increased union membership
Due to an increase in factory/manufacturing labor
Climbed to a peak of 35% of workforce unionized in WWII
Has decreased since then
About 13% today
Most unionized workers today are in the public sector
What are the main explanations for the decline in union membership?
Since WWII the conditions are better than before.
Corruption
The economy has changed, there are not as many manufacturing jobs as before (these were the ones that used to unionize the most).
Shift from manufacturing to service industries
Globalized economy that allows employers to outsource labor overseas
Move factories to countries with less worker protections
What are key issues facing the U.S. labor movement today?
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- Efforts to crack down on public sector unions
- “Right to Work” legislation
- Prevents a worker in un-unionized work space from being required to pay union dues
- Currently in 26 states
What are the differences in the four types of unions?
- Closed shop: employers don’t choose who they get, the union chooses
- electricians are a good example
- Union shop: get hired and must join the union
- Agency Shop: anyone can apply, don’t have to join the union, but you do have to pay
- Open Shop: district control but you don’t have to join nor pay but you can’t vote
