Since the emergence of industrialization, there has been an increased demand for workers to work in the different industries being set up. Abolishment of slavery was gradually taking place; therefore, industries competed to acquire laborers, which prompted the establishment of labor unions that would help the workers fight for their rights and help stop over-exploitation by employers. The responsibilities of the labor movements included fighting for higher salaries, good working conditions, and good working hours, among others. Labor movements were not formed instantly throughout American history but through a gradual process; however, in this essay, labor movements will be discussed from the period between 1880 and 1945.
Labor movements between the pre-1930s period and the period of the mid-1930s differed in various ways. Labor movements pre-1930s organized strikes among workers in all industries, including steel and coal. Still, they ended up unsuccessful because the government interfered with the decisions of these labor movements and failed to support them, accusing them of being associates of the communists. For instance, the united mine workers labor movement, which John Lewis led, failed after he was arrested, forcing him to promptly end the strike after the movement was accused of being funded by communist Vladimir Lenin. Nonetheless, the labor movements in the mid-1930s supported the courses of labor unions. They allowed them to engage in collective bargaining with employers on behalf of their parties through strikes and other means deemed appropriate by the workers. John Lewis practically requested workers in coal mines to join the union because the president had told the workers to join labor unions. While doing this, he did not receive any criticism.
Another difference between the labor movements within those two periods was that during the pre-1930 period, they faced a depreciation whereby they needed proper leadership to steer them toward gaining effective collective bargaining agreements. For instance, the death of Samuel Gompers weakened the American Federation’s labor since people believed that his successor did not have the zeal and the courage to organize intense strikes. Lack of proper leadership crippled the movement’s ability to organize strikes, thus weakening their fighting spirits and allowing employers to exploit workers further. Contrary to this period, the mid-1930s period was characterized by strong leadership with the like of John Lewis and Phillip Murray. During this period, Lewis recorded more success in the labor movements, unlike previously, and was involved in forming more labor unions like the Congress of industrial organizations and the united steelworkers of America, giving workers opportunities to join more trade unions.
The third major difference was that the pre-period of 1930 needed more support from the judicial system. The legalities of the strikes organized by labor movements were questioned by the courts within the different states in the United States. Due to a lack of proper leadership in the labor movements, the employers were vocally against strikes by the employers. They, therefore, used the court systems to stop workers’ strikes through injunctions. Workers during this period barely benefited from the labor movements and did not make any gains, least of all, any progress. The period in the mid-1930s was different because though the Supreme Court was not in total agreement with some of the policies implemented by President Roosevelt, they upheld the Wagner Act, which played a crucial role in allowing the workers their rights to be members of labor unions and legally bargain with their employers.
Significant changes within the labor movement were recorded in the mid-1930sa and beyond compared to earlier periods. The external factors that influenced these changes included economic changes and government intercessions. One of the first significant external factors that contributed to changes within the labor movement was the economic changes caused by the great depression. The great depression is commonly known as the period in which the United States stock market significantly dropped due to severe economic constraints, which led to high levels of unemployment in the various sectors of the economy. These changes prompted the unemployed workers to re-organize and appreciate the role of the labor movements in fighting for their rights. For example, the American Federation of Labor, which was almost collapsing since the death of Samuel, registered 1.3 million members within three years. This economic crisis prompted sympathy for the unemployed workers and the need to support them through labor unions.
The second external factor that favored changes within the labor movement was the election of President Roosevelt as the new president of the United States of America. In solving the economic constraints brought about by the great depression, the president ordered the enactment of several policies and programs to help mitigate the crisis. Among the immediate major policy enacted was the National Industrial Recovery Act, which allowed workers to join labor unions without fear of intercession from employers lawfully. Despite the dismissal of the national industrial discovery act by the Supreme Court in 1935, workers were ready to fight for their rights since they had support from the government to engage in collective bargaining with employers without fear of coercions.
Elsewhere the internal factors that facilitated the changes in the 1930s and beyond for the labor movements were proper leadership and tactics. Aggressive and rigorous leaders such as Lewis played a significant role in the changes the in the labor movement whereby he fought for the rights of all workers, particularly those who had been unrepresented in the previous eras, such as workers employed in the steel industries by creating the union of steel workers in America. The change in tactics in the labor movement also contributed heavily to the further developing of labor unions. For instance, the dissociation of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) from the American labor federation prompted better management in the labor unions giving workers a chance to belong to unions that represented their grievances better. This separation also helped leaders focus better on all their workers.
The internal factors began earlier than the external factors. They helped lay the groundwork for the changes that took place because the labor unions had already existed, and throughout the different periods, they had been successful. Nonetheless, their challenges influenced their success and failures; therefore, the favorable external factors during the mid-1930s facilitated their success. The new developments in the 1930s were the implementation of policies favorable to workers across the various job sectors by President Roosevelt, the legislation of the new deal in Congress, and the support of the Wagner Act by the Supreme Court despite its rejection of the national industrial discovery act.
All of these factors discussed above are useful in understanding the condition of the labor movement in recent years because they help us understand the role of the government in defending the rights of workers from exploiting employers, how economic situations directly affect employees and workers within the different employment sectors and the indirect effects of these constraints affect the trade unions. Proper leadership in tare unions gives us insights into how leaders can propagate labors unions towards achieving their goals and objectives for their members and, lastly, how tactic approaches in labor unions help in creating various labor unions that fight for different workers since not all employees work within the same field of work neither are their demands similar.
The labor unions in the past and those in the present are significantly comparable in various ways, as discussed below. The labor unions are similar in both time frames because they advocate for the same issues dealing with employees within the different labor pools. Among the issues advocated for then and currently by the unions are reasonable working hours for all employees and good compensations for overtime hours, high salaries and retirement benefits, health for sick employees, and favorable working conditions for all employees despite their backgrounds. Another similarity is that for employees to benefit from these labor unions, they must be registered with the unions and make their contributions as per their agreement with the unions.
Labor unions were relevant back then and are still relevant today because they help employees earn accordingly. Union members in the United States are estimated to earn higher monthly salaries compared to no union members. This is because the unions play a role in negotiating higher wage premiums for their members. The unions are also relevant because they have helped promote workplace equality by preventing the exploitation of workers by employers, specifically those of color. Therefore labor unions contribute heavily to the growth United States economy. ( 1460)
Works Cited
“Proclamation of the Striking Textile Workers of Lawrence.” Voices of a People’s History of the United States (2014), chapter 13.
Dollinger, G. (1995). “Striking Flint: Genora (Johnson) Dollinger Remembers the 1936-37 GM Sit-Down Strike”: 345-349.
Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove, eds. Seven Stories Press. “Arturo Giovanitti’s Address to the Jury.” Voices of a People’s History of the United States (2014), chapter 13.
Jacobin. 25 Aug 2017. PBS American Experience Films. (2011).
McConnell-Sidorick, Sharon. “Silk Stockings and Socialism.”
Rosenzweig, Roy et al. (2008). Who Built America? Working People and the Nation’s History, Volume Two: 1877 to the Present. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s the “Girl Army” article is at the beginning of the article.
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