History of Labor Movements
In the United States, the labor movement began to address the need of protecting the common issues affecting workers. In the industries and also the factories, the focus of the labor union was to ensure that there was favorable working conditions, a safe environment and the workers received better pay for the work they do. In addition, there was also involvement in the fight against hiring of children (Dubofsky & McCartin, 2017). There was also push to have health benefits for all the worker and the union also involved itself in supporting its members who get injuries at work and helping those who retire and requiring help that needs the union attention.
The labor unions on the other hand have been blamed for undeforming industries and partnering with crimes which are organized for a long time but on the other way, they have been related to the economical, political and cultural fabric of United States (Chase, 2017). The influence they have contributed significantly in the development of the economy.
The establishment of the labor unions formed in the formative period of the United States, when a labor market which was free developed in the artisan trades towards the end of colonization period, one of the oldest strike that was recorded occurred some of the New York tailors made a protest against reduction of their wages, it occurred in 1768 (Dubofsky & McCartin, 2017). Federal Society of Journeymen was later created in the year 1794 and it became the first and pave way for the establishment of other labor unions in the United States.
From this time, local craft unions were established, there was also formation of structural elements which made a key American trade unionism. Mechanics Union of Trade Association which was established and together with the International Typographical Union which was formed when the central bodies come together under the craft union. During this period, the creation of the factory system was in place but unfortunately, the workers did not play a significant in its development in the initial phase. The trade unionism in the 19th century was considered as a union only for workers with skills.
Some of the early labor movement played a crucial role not only to serve the job interest of the workers but to see the value of a just society, this was drawn from the Ricardian labor theory of value and also from the American ideal considered to facilitate social equality, relied on independent, celebrated honest labor including citizen with good moral values (Dubofsky & McCartin, 2017). The industrial development in capitalism resulted into formation of two difference groups of the rich and the poor. There were also serious of reforms which spread through the 19th century. Some of the main one’s that were formed are the National Labor union and the Knights of Labor. The reforms movements’ might have seemed odd to some of the individuals but for others they took it as bundle of a single union which had the same working class constituency and also shared a common leadership to some extent. They are taken as operationally different but functionally distinct.
The need for improved working condition resulted to shift of workers to the Knight of Labor this is because the workers had hope in it and thus workers opted to join it, this occurred in 1800. The knights of labor carried out strikes and along with the industrial lines (Chase, 2017). The national trade unions wanted the Knights of Labor to stick to their professional which did not work out. They were then forced to create American Federation of Labor. This later made the reforms not useful and resulted in the failure of the Knight of Labor. This occurred as the industrialization matured.
Marxism made it clear that the trade unionism was appropriate tool for the preparation of revolution of the working class and therefore the founders of the America federation of labor Samuel Gompers considered it as rule for a simple and pure union. Self-organization and job-consciousness was important in setting the freedom of workers from the employers (Heron, 2012). Therefore, it was a good move by the union.
The was also the declaration by the American Federation of Labor to create and make a policy that could made it possible to accommodate all the individuals irrespective of the gender, the skills that the individual have, religious beliefs and the place of origin. Some of the trade national trade unions moved toward the industrial structure as there was changes in the technology (Heron, 2012). The American Federation of Labor aim to comprise all the workers was not successful and later in 1895 it chartered International Association of Machinist for whites only.
Toward the political realm there was formation of Federation of Organized Trade and Labor Union which was established to function as the labor entry way in Washington. Partly due to the progressive legislation on labor, there was increase in the political activity, this was seen in the American Federation of Labor campaigning for their friends and seeking defeat for their enemies.
The craft unions caused obstruction of the American Federation of Labor efforts and that led to the separation of United Mine Workers who were led by John L. Lewis in 1935. They formed the Committee for Industrial Organization that helped the unions that were being formed such as in the rubber and auto (Dubofsky & McCartin, 2017). This organization was created formally in 1938 as the Congress of Industrial Organization. It grew and at the end of the war in 1945, it has gained 12 million members and there was also introduction of the collective bargaining which made a huge impact in the industrial economy
In politics, the power of the union on the policy of nonpartisanship, the union drifted on the Democratic Party with the basis of ethnocultural and support of the immigrant working class. On the other hand the Committee for Industrial Organization took seriously the individual and also the union which expressed support for the progressive party presidency (Dubofsky & McCartin, 2017). There was also the formation of the Committee for Industrial Organization and American Federation of Labor in 1955 with the main interest to make a better and more member oriented interest in job and economic advancements for union members.
The collective bargaining did well following the end of the fights in the war, it raised three times the earnings normally for a week in the production occurring from 1945 to the year 1970. This gave the member securities in illness, old age and incase of unemployment and also strengthening their rights to fair treatment.
The Committee for Industrial Organization and American Federation of Labor did some of most important activities in fight for the civil rights legislation. The legislation were directed against trade union practices that were discriminative. However the important part of the labor started to lose strength and additionally the political capability decreased. From the year 1970, other competitive forces come in as a result of the changes in transport and communication which come in due to restructuring of the industries.
The labor unions have been greatly affected by the swift changes in the industrial sector with today being diverse and broad-based. The number of workers have also declined. In United States the number of worker in the labor union were just 12 million. It is therefore clear that today labor unions have loosed popularity.
References
Chase, M. (2017). Early trade unionism: fraternity, skill and the politics of labour. Routledge.
Dubofsky, M., & McCartin, J. A. (2017). Labor in America: A history. John Wiley & Sons.
Heron, C. (2012). The Canadian labour movement: A short history. James Lorimer & Company.
