The Role of Labor Unions

On Labor Day, when Americans celebrate the good fortune of the American worker, they are really honoring the achievements of labor unions. A labor union is a group of workers doing the same general type of work (a craft union) or employed in the same in­dustry (an industrial union). Workers join unions to negotiate more effectively with management (to bargain with their employers for better contracts). There are unions for miners, musicians, public employees (such as teachers and police officers), janitors, nurses, plumbers, factory workers, construction workers, employees in the transporta­tion industries, and many other groups.

Unions are democratic institutions. They have elected leaders (some are paid and some are volunteers) who try to carry out the group's goals. The union's leaders and im­portant decisions are determined by a majority vote of the membership. Union mem­bers pay dues to support the activities of the union.

For more than 100 years, American unions have been representing workers. During the early years, there were many violent incidents because management considered unions illegal and tried to prevent workers from organizing. Later, unions became so powerful that federal laws were required to control union abuses. Today, unions are an accepted part of the workplace. Altogether, about 12% of the nation's workers - approx­imately 16 million Americans - belong to unions.

Unions have made great gains in getting employees greater job security, higher wages, a shorter workweek, extra pay for overtime work, paid vacations, sick leave, health insurance, pension plans, and safe, sanitary working conditions. Also, as a result of union efforts, many laws have been passed that protect and help workers. Federal laws prohibit employers from discriminating against workers because of race, religion, sex, age, or physical disability. Today, most workers must be paid at least the federal minimum hourly wage ($5.15 in 2000). Federal law also requires most employers to pay employees at least time-and-a-half (1½ times their regular hourly rate) when they work overtime. Unions have also fought to protect children in the workforce. In most states, children under the age of 14 are not allowed to hold jobs, though there are some ex­ceptions to this restriction. For example, children are allowed to work part time to de­liver newspapers or work as entertainers.

In attempting to achieve its goals, a union may employ its most powerful weapon: the strike. A strike occurs when union members decide not to return to work until their employer gives in to some or all of their demands. Workers on strike picket their em­ployer by walking back and forth in front of their place of business, carrying signs stat­ing their complaints.

In spite of the gains that unions have made for workers, in the last few decades of the twentieth century, American labor unions lost membership. The percentage of union­ized workers in the workforce and the actual number of union members both declined. Labor unions have always been strongest in construction, manufacturing, mining, and transportation industries. In recent years, because of the automation of American fac­tories and the shifting of many factories to foreign countries, the number of blue-collar employees (those whose jobs are mostly more physical) has greatly declined. However, more white-collar workers (those whose jobs are mostly in offices) are becoming union­ized. For example, about 37% of government employees belong to unions.

Though the number of union members has been declining, unions remain important in the U.S. Collective bargaining agreements between labor and management also affect nonunion members in unionized businesses. These agreements cover not only salary schedules but also working conditions, workers' rights, and benefits. Moreover, labor unions have some political influence. The American labor movement does not have its own political party as in some other countries. However, union leaders influence legisla­tion and government policy by lobbying (talking to legislators in the state capitals and in Washington, D.C. about their goals). In election years, most candidates want the support of organized labor, so they must be concerned about the needs and interests of unions. Unions encourage their workers to contribute to the political campaigns of candidates they consider pro-labor and to vote for candidates who support workers' interests.

Most American unions belong to the AFL-CIO, an organization that combined the former American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations. This federation, with some 13 million members, has a great deal of political influence.

Of course, many companies, institutions, and occupations are not unionized. Those that are cannot require prospective employees to join the union in order to be consid­ered for a job. However, in some industries, workers must agree to join the union after they are hired. In other places of business, union membership is optional. In some cases, workers who choose not to join must still contribute to the union because they, along with the union members, benefit from union achievements.

Check your comprehension.

List at least five ways in which unions have helped workers.