Essay on The Role of Labor in American History - 9019 Words

This brief history of more than 100 years of the modern trade union movement in the United States can only touch the high spots of activity and identify the principal trends of a century of achievement. In such a condensation of history, episodes of importance and of great human drama must necessarily be discussed far too briefly, or in some cases relegated to a mere mention. What is clearly evident, however, is that the working people of America have had to unite in struggle to achieve the gains that they have accumulated during this century. Improvements did not come easily. Organizing unions, winning the right to representation, using the collective bargaining process as the core of their activities, struggling against bias and†¦show more content†¦Through these decades, the labor movement has constantly reached out to groups in the American society striving for their share of opportunity and rewards..... to the blacks, the Hispanics and other minorities..... to women striving for jobs and equal or comparable pay . . . to those who work for better schools, for the freedom of speech, press and assembly guaranteed by the Bill of Rights ... to those seeking to make our cities more livable or our rural recreation areas more available . . . to those seeking better health for infants and more secure status for the elderly. Through these decades, in addition, the unions of America have functioned in an economy and a technology marked by awesome change. When the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions gathered in convention in 1881, Edison had two years earlier invented the electric light, and the first telephone conversation had taken place just five years before. There were no autos, no airplanes, no radio, no television, no air conditioning, no computers or calculators, no electronic games. For our modest energy needs-coal, kerosene and candies-we were independently self-sufficient. The labor movement has seen old industries die (horse-shoeing was once a majorShow MoreRelated The Ethnicity of Mexians in the United States Essay1738 Words   |  7 Pagescenturies, Mexican Americans have dealt with an enormous amount of hardships that date back to their early Aztec roots. The source of many problems in Mexican American history can be traced in the pre-colonial period, before the United States of America was even conceived. Major problems of this era in history not only affected the Aztecs, but also the following generations of Aztec and Mexican descent, and continue to have an impact on their descendents in contemporary American society. BeginningRead MoreThe Role Of Violence During U.s. Labor967 Words   |  4 PagesCase Study Assignment: The Role of Violence in U.S. Labor Why do we celebrate Labor Day? There is more to our 3-day weekend holiday celebrated by get-togethers, barbequing, and an extra day off work. We celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers. This happy ending did not have a happy start when immigrants were coming to America. They were cheap labor and unskilled so they became exploited. There was a rapid expansion in factories and manufacturing capabilities during theRead MoreA Time For Change . William G. Pollard, A Physicists, Had1509 Words   |  7 PagesA Time for Change William G. Pollard, a physicists, had once said,†Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Pollard). Throughout history most of the great periods of change can be traced back to an event or discovery. In early man, man hunted for food with his hands until he acquired the technology necessary to make weapons. During this period, man hunted and gathered food as they walked through the vast earth. This was until the discovery of agricultureRead MoreThe Rights Of Immigration And Citizenship Essay1564 Words   |  7 PagesThe high presence of immigrants in ‘vulnerable’ labor markets make the pathways for migration and citizenship critical in accessing agency. The legality of labor for immigrants affects the vulnerability of immigrants. The ‘under the table’ nature of many economic opportunities presented to immigrant populations changes the stability of accumulating capital or creating economic mobil ity. The ‘off the books’ nature changes the agency to immigrants to gain their wages, protest exploitation and to attainRead MoreThe Labor Force since the First Industrial Revolution Essays912 Words   |  4 PagesLabor Force During the first Industrial Revolution, many social standards of the community were starting to change. Since there were new spinning and weaving machines available, the textile mill factories were built to increase their profit. The people who established these mills hired children and women to decrease their labor cost by paying them low wages and having poor working conditions for them as well. The Labor force impacted American culture through various means such as the child laborRead MoreColonial America And The Revolutionary War1110 Words   |  5 PagesColonial America’s history from European settlement to the revolutionary war is a story that is best understood when told from multiple perspectives. It is a history that is not one of just the European immigrants, but also the African Americans and American Indians as well, with each ethnic group playing their own role in the development of the region. Although each group’s perspective may not be the same, their collective history is what makes Colonial America. Thus, through analyzing the variousRead MoreThe Development Of The Fisheries And Tourism On The Monterey Coast Essay1312 Words   |  6 PagesConnie Chiang in Shaping the Shoreline: Fisheries and Tourism on the Monterey Coast, â€Å"illuminates the deeply entangled social and environmental histories that together transformed Monterey through time.† Thus the central contribution of Chiang’s book is illuminating the intersection of social and environmental history from the perspective of an environmental history. The environmental story deals with the fisheries, canneries, and eventual aquarium celebrating the environment and Monterey’s past. CentralRead MoreLabor Unions And The United States1700 Words   |  7 PagesLabor unions and movements play an important role in the United States. Although they are treated synonymously, the labor movements encompass a broader scope than labor unions. Some of the examples of current labor unions and movements include National Guestworker, Domestic Workers United and Wal-Mart workers groups. The heart of the current labor initiatives in the United States can be traced back to the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (Collier Collier, 2002). The labor law was imperativeRead MoreThe Role Of Labor Unions Within The United States1287 Words   |  6 Pages Increased Role of U.S. Labor Unions James Forst American Public University System Professor Latanya Hughes Human Resource Management- HRMT 407 February 16, 2016 Abstract This paper will explore the role of labor unions within the Unites States. The effectiveness of Unions and how they are important for the stability of the American economy. Unions provide many benefits to employees due to the working relationship with management and politicians in the U.S Congress. Some of the benefitsRead MoreSecond Industrial Revolution1000 Words   |  4 Pageslives of Americans and the history of the United States will be outlined. Second US Industrial Revolution, 1870 -1910 In this brief paper, a description of two developments of industrialization that positively affected American lives and a description of two developments of industrialization that negatively affected American lives will be discussed. Further, an analysis of whether or not industrialization was generally beneficial or detrimental to the lives of Americans and the history of the