Organized Labor

1. Organized Labor Labor Unions • An organization that helps workers improve working conditions, wages, and benefits. • Membership peaked in the 1930’s at 30% • Today, about 10% of US workers belong to a union

2. Labor Movement – 1800’s • Rise of factories led to difficult and dangerous working conditions. • Long days, long weeks, low pay • Discontent grew to organized protests • Strikes – work stoppage • Higher wages, shorter hours, safer workplace

3. Labor Movement – 1900’s Pro-union Legislation: • 1932 Norris-La Guardia Act • Outlawed yellow-dog contracts • 1935 National Labor Relations Act • Gave workers the right to organize • 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act • Created the minimum wage, outlawed child labor, and established OT

4. Decline of the Labor Movement • Unions could be an obstacle to replace outdated and inefficient production methods. (Featherbedding) • Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 • Right-to-work laws ban mandatory union membership • President can delay a strike for 80 days • 1981 PATCO

5. The Decline of Unions • Less Blue-collar jobs • More women in the workforce • More jobs shifting to the south • Most union goals have been achieved • Shorter work weeks • Safer workplace • Better benefits

6. Types of Union Workplaces • Closed shop • Hires only union members, now illegal • Union shop • Hires nonunion members, but requires them to join the union with a certain time. • Agency shop • Hires nonunion workers and does not require them to join the union. However, they still need to pay union dues.

7. Labor Imperfection • Restrict Membership • Union card, license, certification • Collective Bargaining • Union represents large number of employees, with many different goals. • Seniority and Protection

8. Collective Bargaining • Mediation • A settlement technique in which a neutral mediator meets with each side to try and find a common ground. Nonbinding. • Arbitration • A settlement technique in which a third party reviews the case and imposes a decision that is binding.