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Section 1: What is a Labor Union?
Unions organized by workers to fight for employee rights and protections, such as a shorter workday and minimum wage, have a long history in the United States. In fact, the first worker strike predates the American Revolution, and the first union was established by Philadelphia shoemakers in 1794. In 1881, the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions was formed, followed five years later by the American Federation of Labor (AFL).
The ultimate negotiating tool of a labor union is a strike. When unions don't get what they want, they often resort to striking. A strike is a labor stoppage and that shuts down the business.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The ultimate negotiating tool of a labor union is a strike. When unions don't get what they want, they often resort to striking. A strike is a labor stoppage and that shuts down the business.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- A labor union represents the collective interests of workers, bargaining with employers over such concerns as wages and working conditions.
- Labor unions are specific to industries and work like democracies.
- Labor unions have local chapters, each of which obtains a charter from the national-level organization.
- U.S. law requires an employer to actively bargain with a union in good faith; however, the employer is not required to agree to any specific terms.
- Some labor union contracts have been criticized for making it too difficult to fire incompetent, abusive, and violent employees
- A Strike happens when union workers are not satisfied with something going on in a company (For example: Salary, Worker Treatment)
Section 2: Why Would Someone Want To Join A Labor Union? Why Are They Necessary?
Section 3: Summarize How A Labor Union Works
Labor unions have a democratic structure, holding elections to choose officers who are charged with making decisions that are beneficial to the members. Employees pay dues to the union and, in return, the labor union acts as an advocate on the employees’ behalf. Labor unions are often industry-specific and tend to be most common today among public sector (government) employees and those in transportation and utilities.
To form a union, a locally based group of employees obtains a charter from a national-level labor organization. Two large organizations oversee most of the labor unions in the U.S.—the Change to Win Federation (CtW) and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). The AFL-CIO was formed in 1955 after the two groups merged. The CtW spun off from the AFL-CIO in 2005.
Nearly all unions are structured and work in similar ways. U.S. law requires an employer to actively bargain with a union in good faith; however, the employer is not required to agree to any specific terms. Multiple negotiation rounds are conducted between the union’s bargaining unit—a group of members whose duty is to assure that its members are properly compensated and represented—and the employer.
A collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is eventually agreed upon and signed. The CBA outlines pay scales and includes other terms of employment, such as vacation and sick days, benefits, working hours, and working conditions.
After signing the CBA, an employer cannot change the agreement without a union representative’s approval; however, CBAs eventually expire, at which time the labor union and management must negotiate and sign a new agreement.