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The Great Southwest Railroad Strike
It was spanned across many states and included about 200,000 strikers. They protested that they had unsafe working conditions, long hours, and not enough pay. Other railroad employees ended up not supporting them so the railroad company hired them instead. -
Homestead strike
There was a steel union and the Pinkerton's didn't like it. They planned to end it but the steel union heard about their plan. The steel union ended up hiding out at night by the barges to attack the Pinkerton's. -
Ludlow Massacre
A mining community wanted better pay. Rockefeller got mad and kicked everyone out of their houses. People had to live in tents until the national guard came in and shot up the tents. -
The Textile Workers Strike
It had about 400,000 strikers across the Eastern Seaboard. Textile workers were protesting because of long hours and low wages. After 20 days it failed because of little popular support. -
National Labor Relations Act
It guarantees basic rights of private sector employees to organize trade unions, engage in collective bargaining, and enjoy other rights including striking. It covers employees who work for employers involved in more th an one state. It doesn't cover managers, supervisors, farm workers, etc. -
World War ll
Many women were unemployed before World War ll. They were so desperate for machinery and things for war they started hiring women. They worked as electricians, welders, and riveters in defense plants. This impacted the concern of many unions because they were scared that it would impact men wages. -
Labor Management Relations Act
It was passed in effort to limit the power of unions over employees. It also lists unfair labor practices by unions. It was passed to stop discrimination against an employee because of a members status in a union. -
Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act
It deals with the relationship between a union and its members. It promotes union democracy. It also establishes standards for the election of union officers. -
Social media
Social media has opened the doors for helping people get jobs. 52% of employers use social media sites to research job candidates. It's not always a good thing though. People have started communicating about job issues. It also makes it so much easier for unions to get their message across. -
Importance?
Unionized industries became a smaller part of the overall work force. Only 12% of workers are union members. It has gone down 20% since 1983. Not enough people have realized what unions have done for them. -
China Buying GE
GE Appliances wants to do away with some perks that have been around so long that they are part of the "culture" of the union workforce. With the Bloomington, Indiana refrigerator plant closing, Appliance Park becomes the only GE Appliance factory with a union workforce. China buying GE was terrible, yet the union has done the best they can to keep things the same.
