Organized Labor Union of the late 1800s and its Impact Today

830 Words2 Pages

The unions of disunion were not only a major detriment to increasing the socio-economic standards of the laborer from 1875 to 1900, but also served to backpedal on the progress laborers had already gained out of respect. Perhaps the cornerstone of the unions’ policies was the fight for the improved working hours, specifically and eight hour work day, and increased wages for the laborer. However, Historical Statistics of the Unites States on Hours and Wages of Industrial Workers from 1875 to 1891 proves that no such improvements truly occurred. In fact, only a nominal 3.3 cent increase in wages from 1875 to 1891 occurred, and while it some may argue that the unions are then successful in achieving some increase in wages it is crucial to realize that this nominal increase came at the cost of hundreds, if not thousands, of laborer lives. Certainly a meager 1% increase in wages does not justify such loss of life, and if it is claimed that it does then that is also to warrant the trusts right to pay their laborers so little, as anyone who condones such little increase at such high costs automatically degrades the value of the life of the worker and thus reinforces the trusts’ right to combat unions. Furthermore, it should be noted that the average price of wages through those sixteen years was a measly 161.8, a decline of 8 whole cents from the starting point. Thus we can see that unions did not really gain 3.3 cents in wages, but rather caused a net loss of 8 cents. To even attempt to claim improvement for the laborer would be a completely ludicrous notion. Unfortunately for the laborer, the unions of disunion’s extent of their plight did not stop at the ruining of the worker’s economic position through the loss of wages, but also thr...

... middle of paper ...

...y through their lobbying of contradictory legislation and alienated themselves socially through their inability to form a common front to rally behind. Thus, with politics and society turned against the unions the movement was destined for failure. However, the unions’ biggest failures came in the form of economic losses especially within the loss of value in the laborer. However, it is the precedent that the early organized labor movement set forth that was the most detrimental to the laborer, as an intense debate over labor unions in the private sector continues today, with only 6.7% of privatized workers unionized. The organized labor movement failed incredibly in improving the position of the laborer that it only managed to hurt the laborer and thus failed so much so to be stripped of its formal name and leaving only leaving what it truly was; unions of disunion.

More about Organized Labor Union of the late 1800s and its Impact Today

Open Document