Labor Union History Essay

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“In September 1919, the very first labor unions went on strike, insisting they have better working condition by protesting with over 350,000 members of the work force” (Zinn 381). Labor unions have been in the United States of America since the early 19th century. Unions represented employees who rarely had the opportunity to negotiate better wages, more health benefits, and safer working conditions. Therefore, workers rebelled against employers, which affected society as a whole. Historically, labor unions evolved from social and economic impact throughout the Industrial Revolution, World War I, and World War II. The author of Sweat and Blood, A History of U.S. Labor Unions, stated that in the 1700s, members of the first continental congress …show more content…

Individuals, who soon became tired of low pay, lack of benefits and unsafe working environments. There are many types of union organizations, for instance business unions; focus their attention on protecting workers economic welfare by collective bargaining. Arrangements between unions are entitled by the United States to agree on employee working conditions, wages, and hours. Unions also have a political involvement since American unions are classified as business rather than political unions. One of the first Unions in the United States was the United Automobile Workers (UAW) also known as craft Unions. Their job was to represent assembly-line workers, unskilled workers and craft workers in all the major American automobile companies (Web …show more content…

The creation of the department was to improve economic positions of workers in the United states, to better their working conditions, and to improve their chances of employment. The department also has minimized wages, child labor, migrant workers and overtime and determines wage rate for work done under government contract. Thus Occupational Safety and health Administration (OSHA) was called upon by labor departments to develop and enforce job safety and health standards for United States industries. Whom of which also administrates workers compensation programs and enforces legal standards for the funding and operation of private pension and welfare plants by federal laws. Furthermore, the Bureau of labor was established by congress in the department of the interior because of the outcome of the nation’s unemployment insurance programs independent status was given to the department in 1888 by congress. Later establishing the new department of commerce and made the department of labor a bureau in it. President Woodrow Wilson signed a law creating and independent department of labor in

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