Why Labor Unions Created

Throughout the early 19th century many unions were in act, striving for better pay due to the harsh working conditions they were condemned to work in. Many famous leaders who lead these unions were sent to prison for opposing their companies and conducting violence even though the cause of misconduct was caused by their followers who misinterpreted their words. These following documents thoroughly explain how the actions of the labor unions did not destroy the free market, instead restricted business with regulations essentially penalizing the wealthy from being successful. Furthermore, these unions desired to improve the living and working conditions of the poor, the Progressives stood in opposition to the wealthy who justified their actions through social darwinism, and abolished the exploitation of children.

Labor unions have existed in one way or another since the birth of our country in 1776. They were created in an effort to protect the working population from abuses such as sweatshops and unsafe working conditions. From the start of our Nation there were a few unions organized unions in a scattered fashion, but many were disbanded after they had achieved their goals, such as when the printers and shoemakers briefly unionized in Philadelphia and New York City in 1778 to conduct the first recorded strike for higher wages. Three years later in 1971 the first successful strike happened, when Philadelphia carpenters campaigned for a ten-hour workday. This caused the need for skilled and unskilled laborers to skyrocket during the Industrial Revolution and the Civil War and also got the ball rolling with Labor unions. At this point in our Country, there had been nothing done yet for workers’ rights, conditions, pay, and so on. People at this time saw that they could come together and do something to make their lives better for themselves and their families. Many of these dates were important in shaping our country’s labor policies into what they are today. In 1847 New Hampshire enacts as the first state to enforce a 10-hour workday law. In 1909 the International Ladies’ Garment workers’ Union calls a strike in New York, demanding a 20-percent raise and a 52-hour workweek. Within two days, more than 20,000 workers from 500 factories walk off the job. This largely successful uprising

Labor Unions: Aging Dinosaur or Sleeping Giant? The Labor Movement and Unionism Background and Brief History Higher wages! Shorter workdays! Better working conditions! These famous words echoed throughout the United States beginning in “1790 with the skilled craftsmen” (Dessler, 1997, p. 544). For the last two-hundred years, workers of all trades have been fighting for their rights and “seeking methods of improving their living standards, working conditions, and job security” (Boone, 1996,p.287). As time went by, these individuals came to the conclusion that if they work together collectively, they would grow stronger to get responses to their demands. This inspired into what we know today as labor unions. “A labor union

Labor unions have existed in one form or another in the United States since the birth of the country. They were created in an effort to protect the working population from abuses such as sweatshops and unsafe working conditions. On the other hand, they have also been accused of crippling industries and consorting with organized crime over the decades. But in one way or another, labor unions have been

The topic of Labor Unions has been the focus of many political debates in recent years, with these discussions having people advocate for and against the unions. Labor Unions are an organization that represent a collective group of employees to protect and further theirs rights and interests. Labor Unions were first introduced in the eighteenth century with increasing numbers around the United States and the world, but unfortunately during the past decade these numbers have drastically decreased, resulting in less education and achievement of solidarity among employees. Solidarity is the unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common interest. Workers in the United States would benefit more through

A Union is a group of workers who wanted something better from their company or facility, they are called strikers. Unions benefit workers in many ways, they help get workers' rights. Unions  are formed because their working conditions are irritable. They all needed and wanted a change; Labor Unions were created to help the workers with work-related difficulties such as low pay, unsafe or unsanitary working conditions, long hours, and other situations. .

Labor unions date to the 19th century.  The three labor unions were created  to improve work life in the factories. Workers had long hours, poor conditions and low wages; while their employers enjoyed vast wealth.  Labor unions are groups of workers and employees who bond together to get safer working conditions, better wages, and reasonable hours.  Most famous union is the American Federation of labor (AFL), founded in 1886 by Samuel Gompers.  Labor unions protect the rights of workers in specific industries.  Labor unions tend to be more common in manufacturing, mining, construction, transportation, and the public sector.  Labor unions have been around for a long time.  The earlier unions were called craft unions, consisting of members who worked in the same trade such as carpenters and printers.  Working people need to earn enough to support their families; good wages are a part of that, so are health care, paid sick leave and other rights that make sure that working people can do their jobs and take care of their families.

The early labor unions in the United States began as a result of increased strikes across the United States. These strikes were the result of many companies providing low wages to their working staff. Their working staff did not agree with these payment terms and therefore decided to start striking. The labor unions initiated early on had one goal in mind, to fight for the working class and ensure the working class was treated fairly. Although the early stages of the labor unions did not separate themselves from the meaning of an anarchist. It was thought of many labor unions as anarchists and against the government. The "Knights of Labor" were the one of the firsts labor unions that was initiated and saw their demise in the form of being compared

A major topic that comes up with unions is getting better wages for the employees. This is one of the main reasons that unions came to be. Workers of all fields were tired of being paid unfairly by big companies. They realized that they needed a way to organize themselves to fight for better pay. Unions helped aid in this fight. According to History.com, “ The formation of the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers (shoemakers) in Philadelphia in 1794 marks the beginning of sustained trade union organization among American workers.” This was the first time workers tried to organize themselves to get more money for what they did. A key way that unions used workers to make businesses meet their demands was organized strikes. With these organized strikes, the big companies had to comply with some of the demands to raise the employee 's wage, or it would cost them more money in the long run. Strikes are a very powerful tool that unions have used often in the past. Unions orchestrated the strikes in the past pretty well, and the majority of strikes accomplished the goal they were trying to complete. Unions have always fought with companies to give the workers the pay they deserve.

The Labor Movement was necessary to protect the common interest of workers. The state of working environments during the Industrial Revolution produced a mandate for this movement. The Industrial Revolution served as a turning point for all western nations because of the influx of businesses and factories. America generally benefited from the revolution; however, it was at the expense of the workers. Industries were only interested in profit so workers were generally underpaid, worked long hours, and in unsafe conditions. Working conditions during the revolution were generally dreadful. And since there were copious amounts of people willing to work for any compensation, employers could set wages as low as they wanted. Labor unions arose because there were many who disagreed with how big businesses ran. A prime objective of labor unions is to make sure its members are paid fairly. Labor activists believe that employees and the company share its successes and that they should be rewarded for its productivity. Labor unions want to improve working conditions for their members. They demand reasonable working days along with safe working environments. Also, labor unions provide more than just job security and safety services. These services include provision of education and training to inform union members of their employment rights and to improve their basic skills. Labor unions are a group of employees who organize to provide a balance in negotiations between management and the

The topic that I chose to research is, why employees join unions? The definition of a labor union is “an organization of workers formed for the purpose of advancing its members’ interests in respect to wages, benefits, and working conditions.” (Merriam-Webster) In other words it is a group of workers that formed a group to help everyone have better working conditions and fair pay. There are many reasons why employees would want to join unions such as job security, improved working conditions, and protection from unfair treatment.

In this chapter, I learned what labor union means. Labor union is when a group of employees in a workplace that joins together to find ways to positively impact their employment relations. Most people like myself ask why who employees form such union or aren’t it usually the employer that tries to find ways to better the workplace? After reading chapter one, I learn it is necessary for employees to enjoy the job they are doing so they can be satisfied in the workplace. Which makes sense. For a union to work both employee and employer must work together, but isn’t always the case.

The positive effects of Labor Unions for employees are that unions will negotiate on behalf of the employees. This means that an employee will not have to negotiate by himself because there will be a representative that will act as a witness and provide help. Furthermore, because of the representative, the employee will be safe from termination and wrongful acts since the representatives of the unions will hold the company accountable. This in turn helps establish raises and benefits for everyone in the company. On the employer side, the positive effects from Labor Unions are that you gain employee satisfaction. For instance, when an organization meets the needs of their employees, those employees will be more willing to work harder, which

Labor Unions in the United States have been around all the way since the first Industrial Revolution, starting back around 1760, and have been controversial ever since. The purpose of them is to protect the rights of workers and to keep things, such as wages and benefits fair. In my career goal of becoming a Union Sprinkler Fitter, the abolition of labor unions could be one of the most devastating and challenging problems that occurs within my occupation. Many think that this happening is unrealistic, but it actually did very recently. In 2011, Scott Walker the governor of Wisconsin, proposed the “Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill” that took away from, “collective bargaining, compensation, retirement, health insurance, and sick leave of public sector employees” (“2011 Wisconsin Act 10”). All of these areas are what unions protect. This lead to non-stop protests throughout Wisconsin when it was ruled constitutional in 2014 by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Many argue that “Union negotiations can lead to wages and other associated costs being boosted to unreasonably high levels. If the company is not able to sustain the high wages and costs for union workers, then it is left with several options. It can raise prices on the goods or services it provides. It can outsource its labor. It can reduce the number of new hire employees, leaving an insufficient workforce to manage the overall workload” (Weinlick). Is it fair to reduce wages by eliminating unions so businessmen can make more?

Why we need labor unions? Labor unions are a part of American history and the reason why we all aren’t slaving away in seven days a week for 10 cents an hour. Without labor unions, workers work at the poor pay, poor working conditions, no protective equipment or health benefits. Labor unions are important because they are one of the few ways working people can organize, to be heard, and to prevent corporate abuses of power. However, union music provided a powerful tool to recruit new members. The union music that related to labor union movement are "Bread and Roses" "Which side are you on" and " Talking Union."