WORKERS & TRADE UNIONS

Question 1

Ways the Supreme Court hindered right to strike

Answer 1

• injunctions to break Pullman strike

Question 2

Ways the Supreme Court hindered workers rights

Answer 2

• lochner v New York 1905 - rejected law that limited number of hours baker can work
• Coppage v Kansas 1915 - allowing yellow dog contracts
• Adkins v children’s hospital 1923 - stated minimum wage laws violated due process clause in adkins ruling
• 1935 - national industry recovery act (nira) ruled unconstitutional -> schechter brothers sold chicken not fit for consumption, prosecuted by nira for breaking code, ruled that not matter for federal govt (federal govt cannot intervene in internal state issues, but couldn’t prosecute firms for breaking nira codes then nira unconstitutional)

Question 3

Ways the new deal helped right to exist/collectively bargain

Answer 3

• Right for workers to organise unions/take part in collective bargaining
• Allowed close shops - workplace where one union dominates and workers have to belong to union
• Prevented companies from using blacklists/company unions (list of workers regarded as unacceptable)
• 1935 - national labour relations/Wagner act
• Creation of national labour relations board

Question 4

Ways the new deal helped workers rights

Answer 4

• 1933 - national industry recovery act
• 1938 - fair about standards act

Question 5

Ways Kennedy’s new frontier helped workers rights

Answer 5

• 1963 - equal pay act -> made wage discrimination on basis of gender illegal

Question 6

Ways Johnsons great society helped workers rights

Answer 6

• 1964 - civil rights act -> helped black Americans/Hispanics who were discriminated at work
• 1964 - economic opportunity act -> provides funds to train people/increase employment opportunities
• 1968 - age discrimination in employment act -> prevented discrimination against people 40 to 65

Question 7

Ways Nixon and carter helped workers rights

Answer 7

• 1970 - occupational safety and health act -> provide working environment free from hazards/insanitary conditions
• Department of labour set standards - employers had little influence
• Established minimum wage

Question 8

Ways Reagan hindered right to strike

Answer 8

• 1981 - response to patco strike

Question 9

Ways Reagan hindered workers rights

Answer 9

• Using appointments to labour relations board -> support his views, any disputes favour employers

Question 10

Ways WW1 helped workers rights

Answer 10

• Govt intervention in economy - benefitted workers -> real wages rose 20%
• national war labour board established - employers introduce 8 hour working days

Question 11

Ways WW1 helped right to exist

Answer 11

• national war labour board etsbalished - recognised unions as representing workers and guaranteed rights to join union

Question 12

Ways WW1 hindered right to strike

Answer 12

• national war labour board established - conditions of no strike policy/cooperation

Question 13

Ways WW2 helped workers rights

Answer 13

• real wages rose to 70%
• Labour shortage due to growth in armed forces/ending immigration -> strengthened position of worker

Question 14

Ways WW2 helped right to exist

Answer 14

• national war labour board - largely took control of industry from employers

Question 15

Ways WW2 hindered workers rights

Answer 15

• Employers sought to regain control/limit gains unions made post war -> industrial unrest common feature, gains were temporary

Question 16

Ways WW2 hindered right to strike

Answer 16

• President given power to control factories where strike action threatened war effort

Question 17

Ways union unity helped workers rights

Answer 17

• America federation of labour and congress of industrial organisation - contract negotiations, regulations for promotions and opportunities for workers to vice grievances
• Afl-cio - wages of union workers was 20% higher than non union workers

Question 18

Ways union unity hindered workers rights

Answer 18

• Opposition to unskilled workers limited size of union membership -> limiting pressure they can put on govt/employers
• many unskilled workers (mainly mass production industries) denied rights
• very few black Americans unionised -> allowed employers to exploit division and employ for low wages/poor conditions

Question 19

Ways union unity hindered right to strike

Answer 19

• Change in economy resulted in more jobs in white collar/service industries - less likely to join union, more willing to sign no strike agreements

Question 20

Ways union unity hindered right to exist

Answer 20

• Very few black Americans established unions/many non unionised

Question 21

Facts that show helping of right to exist

Answer 21

• Knights of labour - 1886 700,000 membership (20,000 in 1881)

Question 22

Facts that show hindering of right to exist

Answer 22

• 1886 haymarket affair -> membership fell to 100,000 by 1890, 8 strikers and 7 police killed
• 1892 homestead strike -> bankrupted amalgamated association of iron and steel workers, led to decline in membership from 24000 in 1891 to 6300 in 1909
• 1894 Pullman strike -> employer refused to recognise rights of workers to use collective bargaining to protecting living/working conditions
• Exceptional growth of economy (gilded age/19th century) -> demand for unskilled labour, unskilled workers not allowed to join unions, attempt to create own but employers resist because of lack of unity

Question 23

Facts that show hindering of right to strike

Answer 23

• 1886 haymarket affair
• 1892 homestead strike - violence discouraged govt from supporting workers
• 1894 Pullman strike -> intervening in peaceful protest
• 1894 omnibus indictment act - prohibited strikers from persuading others to strike
• 1920s economy boom - welfare capitalism in return for establishment of unions under control/direction of employers

Question 24

Facts that show helping of workers rights

Answer 24

• 1920s economy boom - growing demand for new goods (eg washing machines, cars, fridges) so more workers with higher wages
• Welfare capitalism - eg Henry ford cut working day to 8 hours, doubled daily wage to $5, profit sharing
• By end of 1960s workers gained benefits

Question 25

Facts that show hindering of workers rights

Answer 25

• 1920s economy boom -> welfare capitalism dismissing workers rights, forced to sign yellow dog contract (agree not to join a union)
• although workers gained benefits part of policy to reduce likelihood of workers going on strike

Question 26

List positive and negative turning points for right to exist

Answer 26

Positive
- New deal
- WW2
Negative
- Violence of unions - Pullman, homestead
- Omnibus indictment act
- Patco strike -> ruined reputation of unions

Question 27

List turning points for right to strike

Answer 27

Negative
- Patco strike
- Pullman strike - use of injunctions/govt intervention (2000 federal troops)
- Omnibus indictment act
- National war labour board established - avoid labour strikes and maintain production, getting benefits regarding workers rights in return for singing no strike clauses

Question 28

List turning points for workers rights

Answer 28

Positive
- national industry recovery act -> encouraged firms to agree to codes of practice which dealt with improving hours, wage rates and union rights
- Fair labour standards act
- Wagner act
Negative
- Coppage v Kansas
- Lochner v New York
- Employment of immigrants for lower pay/poor conditions
- Nira found unconstitutional

Question 29

What is overall judgement for right to exist

Answer 29

• federal govt hindered -> when strikes threatening productivity/economic growth they stop union activity, laissez faire approach (govt shouldn’t be involved - management of economy seen as unAmerican)

Question 30

What is overall judgement for workers rights

Answer 30

• federal govt helped -> most govts had improvements to rights eg fair labour standards act (new deal), equal pay act (jfk), occupational safety act (Nixon)