Unions Labor Unions in Ancient Term Paper

SAMPLE EXCERPT . . .
(Reuther, Encarta Article). Most of all, Labor Unions have performed the important task of lessening social inequalities in the American society by improving the incomes of the working class and creating a vibrant middle class.

Some Drawbacks

Get full access
for only $8.97. Despite the undoubted benefits of workers' unions and their impressive list of achievements in the past, we find that there has been a steady decline for the past 40 years in the union's influence and its membership. The most important reason for this (which is also a major drawback of unions) is that unions, by raising the wages of unionized workers substantially above the wages of nonunion workers, have made many union-made products very expensive. Such expensive products cannot compete with products produced by workers getting lower wages; thus forcing some unionized companies to close down. ("The Labor Union Movement...") Other reasons for the decline in the influence of unions have more to do with their perceived image, rather than their actual drawbacks. For example, the American public and politicians have become more conservative in the past few decades. Since labor unions are concerned with fighting exploitation, they are perceived as "leftist" and even "Communist" by many and evoke hostility among the conservatives. Unions are also thought to be forces of disruption and the employers have traditionally been opposed to them. Some highly publicized cases of corruption in the unions have also dented their image. Another limitation of unions is that they cater to the requirements of the low-paid and blue collar workers. With the shift in the United States from the manufacturing industries to service industries, which employs more white-collar workers, the efficacy of unions has diminished.

Conclusion

Term Paper on Unions Labor Unions in Ancient Assignment

Workers' unions have traditionally played an important role in the unequal "contest" between the workers and the employers. Despite a degree of setbacks in the recent past, unions continue to play an important role in the workplace and the society by protecting some of the most vulnerable sections of our population. Most of all, they help to close the "inequality" gap between the rich and the poor by ensuring that the employers give reasonable compensation and respect to their workers.

Works Cited

How & Why People Join Unions?" American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) Website. 2004. July 15, 2004. http://www.aflcio.org/aboutunions/joinunions/

The Labor Union Movement in America" Economics: Sector 4, Labor. Social Studies Help Center. 2002. July 15, 2004. http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/Eco_Unionization.htm

Reuther, Water P. "Labor Unions in the United States." Article in Encyclopedia Encarta, 2003.

Union 101." American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) Website. 2004. July 15, 2004. http://www.aflcio.org/aboutunions/joinunions/union101.cfm

What Unions Do?" American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) Website. 2004. July 15, 2004. http://www.aflcio.org/aboutunions/joinunions/whatunionsdo.cfm

Yellow-dog contracts were documents binding workers not to join unions

Unions [END OF PREVIEW] . . . READ MORE