History of Labor Unions in the
United States of America
CUIN 6320 Technology in the Classroom
Dr. Donna O. Smith
Fall 2006
Presented by:
Milton G. May
Medieval Guilds
• Medieval guilds existed to protect and enhance their
members' livelihoods through controlling the instructional
capital of artisanship and the progression of members
from apprentice to craftsman, journeyman, and eventually
to master and grandmaster of their craft. They also
facilitated mobility by providing accommodation for guild
members traveling in search of work. Guilds exhibited
some aspects of the modern trade union, but also some
aspects of professional associations and modern
corporations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_unions
• The 18th century economist Adam Smith noted the
imbalance in the rights of workers in regards to
owners (or "masters"). In The Wealth of Nations,
Book I, chapter 8, Smith wrote:
– We rarely hear, it has been said, of the combinations of
masters, though frequently of those of workmen. But
whoever imagines, upon this account, that masters rarely
combine, is as ignorant of the world as of the subject.
Masters are always and everywhere in a sort of tacit, but
constant and uniform combination, not to raise the wages
of labour above their actual rate...
– [When workers combine,] masters... never cease to call
aloud for the assistance of the civil magistrate, and the
rigorous execution of those laws which have been
enacted with so much severity against the combinations
of servants, labourers, and journeymen.
Definition
• "A Trade Union (Labor union) ... is a continuous
association of wage-earners for the purpose of
maintaining or improving the conditions of their
employment."
Clarke, T., Clements, L. (1978). Trade Unions under Capitalism. Atlantic
Highlands, NJ: Humanities Press. ISBN 0-391-00728-9.
Was it legal to form unions in the
early 19th century?
A. Yes
B. No
What are some of the events
that made it necessary to form
labor unions?
A. The Tet Offensive
B. The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
C. Tiananmen Square
From your reading, what is one benefit
that labor unions have for their
members?
A. Keeps them from getting fired
B. Gives them free health care
C. Collective bargaining
Which of the following is not a
benefit of labor unions?
A. Provision of benefits to members
B. Free advertising
C. Industrial Action
D. Political Activity
What are the four shop types?
A. Closed shop, Union shop, Agency
shop, Open shop
B. Closed shop, Wood shop, Metal shop,
Shop guild
C. Shop guild, Actor’s Guild, Open shop,
Closed shop
D. Actor’s Guild, NBAPA, NFLPA, MLBPA
TEKS
§113.32. United States History Studies Since
Reconstruction (High School - One Credit).
• (c) Knowledge and skills.
– (2) History. The student understands the political,
economic, and social changes in the United States from
1877 to 1898. The student is expected to:
• (B) analyze economic issues such as
industrialization, the growth of railroads, the growth
of labor unions, farm issues, and the rise of big
business
Unions remain as important today as in any time of
American history. Though issues facing the Union
and its members have changed over the last
century, their basic philosophies have not.
No longer do we, as a society, fight the demons of the
past – child labor, 40-hour workweek, vacation time,
etc. Unions have moved forward and progressed,
taking up the banner for today’s working class men
and women on key fronts such as health care, fair
and equitable pay, respectful treatment, short
staffing, forced overtime and job and retirement
security for all its members.
http://www.uswa.org/uswa/program/content/291.php