Discrimination In Norma Rae

In Norma Rae, management was aggressive in attempting the prevent the formation of the union. The owners used both union substitution and union suppression in order to keep workers from signing union cards. Their first tactic within union substitution was to give Norma Rae a promotion so that she would “shut her mouth” about problems in the workplace. They attempted to increase her job satisfaction so she would not feel a need to join a union. When she continued to show support for the union, they tried union resistance tactics. Management first spread negative information about the union. It took advantage of race relations issues by posting letters in the factory claiming that the blacks would use the union to push around the whites. This lead to violence in the workplace, which further polarized workers’ view of the union. This tactic by management exemplifies the importance of understand the environment in a union campaign. The 60’s in the South was already a troubling time, so management did not have to do much to invoke anger against the union. Additionally, management used intimidation as a part of union resistance. Several male managers spoke to Norma Rae in a small office (crowding around her), to question her

I was struck by the similarities between the town depicted and my own city of Mansfield, Texas. In towns such as these, where conservative views dominate, it is close to impossible to win a union election. While this may be due to anti-union tactics by management, workers’ beliefs that being in a union is a socialist concept further diminishes union density. That being said, it was encouraging to see that it does happen (given the movie was based on a true story). Looking forward, a liberal shift in political views, as well as further regulation by the NLRB, has the potential to revive unions in the