Labor Unions

Essay by Josh KrohneHigh School, 12th gradeA+, March 1997

download word file, 7 pages 4.3

good essay none other than good job

Labor unions are groups or clubs of workers and employees who bond

together to get good working conditions, fair pay, and fair hours for their

labor. For example, in a newspaper, all the people who work the

presses might all belong to one union. All of the artists, who are

responsible for the artistic layout, might belong to another. These unions

are usually joined together, and most unions in America are some branch

of the largest labor union organization in the United States, the AFL-CIO.

The unions of the workers at a certain business or factory might get

together with the management for a period of time to talk about a

contract. This time is known as negotiation. The union will tell the

management what it wants its workers getting paid, and then the

management will tell the union what it can pay the workers and still be

earning a reasonable profit.

They bargain and it usually works out. Most

businesses and corporations have eight-hour work days, with optional

extra hours. This is not usually a topic in negotiations, but could be.

Working conditions could be discussed. If workers in the factory have

no heat, no lunch breaks or they are not allowed to speak, (which was the

case in many sweatshops for immigrants and children in the 1920's

through 1940's), then the labor unions will obviously want something

done.

These differences are usually settled fairly quickly, and a new

contract featuring these agreements will be realized . Most contracts are

in operation for about 3 to 5 years. Then, negotiations begin again. This

is how labor-management relations go in a perfect world.

But, obviously, this is not always the case. Sometimes the unions

want unrealistic wages. They might stress extreme luxuries...