Trade Unions Dbq

I believe that unions were created for a reason. They were created to help be a voice for the workers in the workplace. We need to keep unions because otherwise the problems unions have solved would find their way back and history will repeat itself.

Some people may argue that the Wagner and Taft-Hartley Acts conflict with some of our Core Democratic Values, including Liberty and Justice. “Liberty is the power to act as one pleases (source: merriam-webster.com).” Some people said that the Wagner Act denied their liberty because they were, in some cases, being required to join a union for a job. People were upset that some employers were requiring you to join a union and then have to pay a membership fee. They felt that they were not

The American Federation of Labor began in 1881 to “encourage the formation of trade unions and to obtain legislation, such as prohibition of child labor, a national eight hour day, and exclusion of Chinese and other foreign contract workers... The unions of the AFL were composed primarily of… unskilled workers [and] African-Americans (source: wikipedia.org).” Unions were helping increase wages and lower work hours. “Nationwide from 1890 to 1914 the unionized wages in manufacturing rose from $17.63 a week to $21.37, and the average work week fell from 54.4 to 48.8 hours a week (source: wikipedia.org).” In 1935 the National Labor Relations Act was passed. This Act “guarantees basic rights of private sector employees to organize into trade unions, engage in collective bargaining for better terms and conditions at work, and take collective action including strike if necessary (source: wikipedia.org).” The Act also created the National Labor Relations Board. In 1947 the Labor Management Relations Act, better known as the Taft-Hartley Act, revised the Wagner Act. The Act prohibited unfair labor practices by employees, jurisdictional strikes, closed shops, and secondary boycotts, for example. It also gave states the right to pass “right to work” laws. There are currently 28 states that have a right to work

They think unions should be available to all workers. Unions are very beneficial for all workers. They have helped create higher wages for all workers, union member or non-union member. If there were two companies, one unionized and one not, and the union of the one company fought for a raise and won, what would the un-unionized company do to keep their employees from leaving? Raise their wages as well. Unions have also helped fight for benefits given to employees and their families like health insurance and retirement plans. Liberals also support unions because they have helped increase safety in the workplace. Unions have protected workers from long work hours and unsafe conditions. People are able to keep the power when unions exist. Workers are able to fight for what they want and still be protected by the union without having the fear of being fired without a