Both classes heard information pertaining to the early labor union movements in the USA. Find out if any of these former unions are still in existence today and share some current information/status.
OR, find a name and facts about ANY union that exists today and comment on how effective you believe unions are today.
OR, ask some questions of the adults in your life; are they union members? Why/why not? What are some current attitudes/opinions about unions? Share what you have learned without using specific peoples' names.
Labor unions today include AFLCIO, a labor federation made up of 54 member unions with more than 10 million members, and Change to Win, formed in September 2005. I believe labor unions are not as effective as they were, but they are still important to protecting and representing America's workforce. Labor unions are a crucial leveraging tool we can use in this economy to combat worker domination.
ReplyDeleteI agree that labor unions can help leverage workers. I have also seen uions stir the pot. I think maybe Sara means "boss domination"? As a member of a union, I value the protections it affords me. What are some other union thoughts?
ReplyDeleteAs with all organizations, unions have both positive and negative aspects. Unions have obviously made great strides in both worker rights and human rights as well. The positive aspects of labor unions are numerous; they provide opposition to corrupt employers, they give power to individual workers, and they have improved working conditions for almost all workers. There are, however, negative aspects as well. For example, I recently attended a haunted house in Wesleyville. The labor union for the haunted house actors had recently gone on strike and demanded a rather unreasonable twenty minute break for every hour of work. Because of this we waited in line for nearly two hours. The point I am trying to make is that unions are not always good for everyone. When unions have too much power they can make completely unreasonable demands and their employers are powerless to do anything about it. When used properly unions can be a wonderful thing, but when used improperly, they can do great damage.
ReplyDeleteSpecifics are always welcome in examples. Does anyone know of any local (Erie) unions? Doesn't GE have a union? Are they affiliated with other unions?
ReplyDelete