Labor Relations

Workers first organized unions in the latter part of the eighteenth century because they wanted a sense of job security in his or her skilled trade. During this time, there were no labor laws to protect employees from unfair practices therefore they chose to unite and create a forum where they could address job-related matters with their employers. Additionally, unions have taken on many more roles and have both peaked and declined throughout the years. “In the United States unionism in some form is almost as old as the nation itself. Crafts that formed local unions in the late 18th and early 19th century included printers, carpenters, tailors, and weavers. Their chief purpose was to keep up craft standards and to prevent employers from hiring untrained workers and importing foreign labor. From 1806 there were numerous prosecutions by employers of unions as combinations in restraint of trade. The early 1830s, a period of industrial prosperity and inflation, was a time of union development; however, the financial Panic of 1837 halted this growth. After the Civil War, in 1866, the National Labor Union was formed; it had such objectives as the abolition of convict labor, the establishment of the eight-hour workday, and the restriction of immigration, but it collapsed with its entry into politics in 1872.”

Some changes that unions may need to make to maintain the support from the membership, community, and employers are as follows: establishing union goals and objectives, improving marketability, recruit new members, extensive research on union issues, and stronger collective bargaining agreement. For instance, unions should have a standard policy that outlines their mission because union members, employers, and its supporters want to know why being a part of a union is a good investment. A written policy is clear and concise and should be available on the organization’s website so it can be accessible to the public. Also, unions need to devise a...