Labor-union-in-the-United-States

LaborunionintheUnitedStateswhereworkersgatherautomaticallytoachievetheircollectiveaimssuchasimprovingthepaysandbenefitandworkingconditions,solvingthegrievancewiththeemployersaswellasreducingtheworkinghoursandload.[1]Thisinterestgroupcanbeanassociationofstaffswhoworkfortheircommonemployerortheindividualsinthesameindustry.IntheUnitedStates,laborunionsarelegallyrecognizedasrepresentativesofworkersinmostindustries.Thefundamentalidealsupheldbylaborunionsincludetheprovisionofmemberbenefits,therighttocollectivelybargainandtherighttotakeindustrialaction.[2]Largerunionseventakepartinlobbyingactivitiesandelectioneeringtoseekforpoliticalinterest,sincetheyhavealargenumberofnumbers.centuryor17thcentury.TheonionsareestablishedspontaneouslybytheapprenticesandhelperswhowanttocooperatetobreakthemonopolyofmedievalICC.TheoneoftheearliestorganizationsiscalledtheHelperUnion,whichbargainedwiththebusinessmanforthesalaryandworkinghoursandevenwentonastrikeinGermanandItaly.[3]Unionsbeganinthemid-19thcenturyinresponsetothesocialandeconomicimpactoftheindustrialrevolution.AsfortheUnitedStates,tradeunionsremainedweakthroughoutthe19thcentury.Only2percentofthetotallaborforceandlessthan10percentofallindustrialworkers,weremembersofunions.In1881theFederationofTradesandLaborUnionswasfounded.FiveyearslatertheorganisationchangeditsnametotheAmericanFederationofLabor,whichcombinedwiththeCongressofIndustrialOrganizationstobecomeAFL-CIOin1955.[4]Asweallknow,nowadaysmostunionsintheUnitedStatesarealignedwithoneoftwolargerumbrellaorganizations----AFLandCIO,whichseemtohavethepowertoinfluenceapresidentialelection.TheAFL-CIOisespeciallyconcernedwithglobaltradeissues,whosebrancheshandlethelocalaffairsandfightingforworkersaroundAmerica.War.Aftertheoutbreakofthewar,thepresidentsetuptheNationalWartimeLaborManagementCommittee,whosefunctionwasprimarilytoavoidlaborriots.Withthedevelopmentoftheunion,themedicalinsuranceandretirementofworkersgotimprovedsufficiently.[5]Asthenumberofmembersinitwhohadmuchmoreadvantageswasinasignificantlyupwardtendency,morenon-membersjoinedtheunion.Astimegoesby,theinfluenceofunionsbecameincreasinglyimportant.However,theconflictbetweenworkersandcapitalistsisstillfierce.(2)TheGreatDepressionofthe1930'swasaturningpointoflaborcampaigninAmericanhistory.Capitalistshadnoideatohandlethecrisisandfinallysoughtforthecooperationwiththeleadersoflaborunions.Thegovernmentalsoadmittedthelegalstatusoflaborunions,whichwererespectedbythepubliclater.Itturnedoutthatthecompromisebetweencapitalistsandworkerswaseffectivefortherecoveryfromtheeconomicalcrisis,andtheAmericareturnedtoprosperity.[6](3)WecantakethegrowthofCIO(CongressofIndustrialOrganization)forexample.[7]EightindustrialorganizationsfollowedLewistogetclearofAFL(AmericanFederationofLabor)andcooperatedtoestablishanewfederationoflabornamedCIO.Lexis,theheroofAmericanlabor,usedtobethechairmanofAFL,begantorevealhisexcellenttalentforlaborcampaign.ThemomentCIOgotformed,itplayedtoughwithautoindustry.CIOappealedtoworkersofGeneralMotorCo.tonegotiatewiththeirbossonpaysandwelfare.Itwasdoubtthatthecompanychosetoignoretheiractionatfirst.MembersofLaborUnionsstartedtogoonstrike.Somethinginterestingisthatthistimeworkersjustcutdownelectricpowerandsitsilentlyinsteadofparadingonthestreet.Inthemeanwhile,CIOaskedtheworkersofotherautoindustrysuchFordandChryslertodotheirjobsasusual.Thecustomerhasbeenpushedtoothercarretailerduringthisdisturbance,whichhadGeneralMotorCo.sufferasevereeconomicloss.Afterthetough44-dayconfrontationbetweenlaborandcapital,thecompanyfinallyadmitthebargainingrightoflaborandapprovemostoftheirterms.ThiscasebroughtCIOabigprestigeoflaborcampaign.CIOhelpedworkerinsteelandcoalindustryinthesameway.Theinfluenceofthisorganizationrocketed,catchingupwithAFLgradually.Itcouldbeclearlyseeninthehistorythatthislaboruniondidmakeabrilliantbenefittothelifeoflabor.Thereforefrom1933to1938,themembersofAmericanlaborunionsincreased3timesthanbefore.Laborcampaigndidnotonlyraisethestandardofwagesandretirement,butitwasavitalfactorattributingtotherecoveryofAmericaneconomy.TherewasthegoldenagewhenAmericagotoutofthevalleyandthecountrybecamestrong,harmoniousandprosperous.Unionsdidnotneedtotakeeconomicconfrontationtoprotectworkerrightsanymore,withCIOandAFLreturningtooneorganization.union.Tobehonest,therearedozensofbenefitslaborunionscanbringtoAmericanworkers.Firstly,someexpertsholdtheviewthatthesystemofcollectivebargainingcanfacilitatetheefficiencyoflaborandimprovetheirskills.Tobemorespecifically,laborunionsbuildupapositiveandcompetitiveatmosphere,inwhichworkerslearnmoreprofessionalknowledge,keeppacewiththeadvancedtechnologyanddevotemoreeffortsandtimetotheirposition.Inaddition,theseunionsplayanimportantroleinbehalfofworkers.Theexistenceofunionsensurescommonrightsofworkers,raisingthestandardofwagesandworkingcondition.Laborunionsalsoprotectworkersfromtheterribleresultthatistriggeredbythearbitrarydecisionmadebytheirboss.Lastbutnotleast,itistoohardforeveryonetoneglecttheadvantagesofcollectivityoflaborunions.Asweknow,wearealwaysnotconfi