Final Paper

Perspectives on Labor Studies, Spring 2014

Take-Home Final

1. David Brody argues that the rise of contractual or collective bargaining relationships during the post WWII era formalized the relationship between employers and unions, but simultaneously began to put a break on shop floor activism. Explain Brody’s argument and, where relevant, incorporate Weber’s theory of bureaucracy.

Brody’s argument towards collective bargaining post WWII between employers and unions implemented the workplace rule of law. The collective bargaining agreements help resolve workplace disputes between employees and their employers along with a union organization (if present). Weber’s theory of bureaucratic authority is a rational authority where the rule is distributed and no one person is in charge. The workplace rule of law is a bureaucratic form of authority; throughout the hierarchical organization chart no one is in charge of making the decision instead, the rule is what guides the organization. For many workers in the 1940’s the increase in wages and their incentives drove them towards joining unions and striking for equality, “…postwar enthusiasm for incentives derived partly from effective union policing…” (Brody, 175) Industrial workers saw both a loss in wages in the late 1940 is compared to ten years later when they finally saw a better life for themselves; union contracts provided them a life towards the middle class. Previously employers would hire those within their family to be managers and hold positions higher up in the chain, which would take away chances from the employees when they try to move up from their current position, “The management of the office follows general rules, which are more or less stable…” (Weber, 198) Many emplo...

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... (Piven & Cloward, 18) Workers protest by striking against their employer, it is easier for employees to protest because they are all located and working together under one roof and are fighting for one thing, and that one thing is related to the workplace. While it is easier for employees to protest, it is not that easy for lower class employees to protest because they have little ability to protect themselves against their institutional managers. When the lower class workers have an informal organizational protest the government is eventually stepping in to disarm the protestors and make efforts to conciliate, “…mobs of unemployed were granted relief in the 1930s…” (Piven & Cloward, 29) The protests cause disruption and sometimes that disruption can make a change but when people are protesting blindly they are more prone to social injustice then making a change.