The History of Organized Labor - Paper Example

Introduction

In the late 18th century, America started to develop as a nation. The industrial revolution was dawning in the US. The workforce in America experienced along, tough fight to get equal treatment at work. In that fight, several employees would seek help from organized labor unions to address their issues. This essay is on the rise of labor unions and their impact on the labor force.

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As the industrial revolution forged ahead, the manufacturing sector advanced,and several laborers started forming organized labor unions to safeguard their desires. The members were to settle on a wage they perceived to be fair. If the proprietor could not satisfy their interests, they vowed to quit the job. The shoemaker's union started collecting levies in 1792 and hold consistent assemblies followed by the printers and carpenters. The national labor union was the first organized labor unit in America together with its counterparts from Europe. The union reformed to National Labor Reform Party in 1872 which later perished. Even though NLU was fruitful, it proved to be of less importance in practice. In the 1880's, the knights of labor turned out to be the most critical labor union. Unlike the others, this one incorporated all workers and was highly unified. Its heritage integrated the creation of legislation and a federal Bureau of Labor which structured the reimbursement of rail-road smacks. Nevertheless, it also faced a rapid decline just like the other labor unions.

In 1886, the American Federation of Labor was created with Samuel Gompers as the head providing conservative leadership. AFL aimed to safeguard its members fewer working hours, improved working conditions, and high wages. Since its objective was not to systemize unqualified laborers, it got lots of expansions in the 1920's leading to a rise in the economy in the mass-production industries. In 1990, its membership started declining since it was not entirely useful in the establishment of the organized labor. Currently, the AFL is a charitable union of NLU representing over 13 million laborers with a goal of providing the US work-force with socio-economic equality through legislative and political designation. America's historical data displays a considerable rise in average daily pay and a comparatively massive cut in the average regular working hours in this era. We can infer this as a cause of the organized labor unions.

The healthcare management field remains to be a focus of union unrest, leverage, and growth. Even though usually healthcare managers work 40 hours a week, most of them work overtime due to the demanding nature of the job in healthcare that works around the clock. The allowances for overtime work fail to compensate the efforts and sacrifices put in by healthcare administrators. The healthcare management career is represented by unions such as the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Healthcare unions are a necessity for negotiating on working hours, unsafe workloads, reductions in health insurance, and an increase in bonuses and wages by putting the member's interest at heart.

Conclusion

In conclusion, organized labor has been an important socio-economic and political strength to-date, though it has noticeably seen a reduction in power. Industrialization has declined in relative significance, even though the production sector continues to grow. The period after WW I saw the prosperity of unions, but in the successive years, after the drop-in number of employees in the conventional manufacturing industries, there has been a decline in union membership.

References

Fletcher, B., &Gapasin, F. (2008). Solidarity Divided: The crisis in organized labor and a new path toward social justice. Univ of California Press.

Hattam, V. C. (2014). Labor visions and state power: The origins of business unionism in the United States (Vol. 141). Princeton University Press.