Assignment on Labor Movement

The origins (the early 1800s and prior)

In the formative years of the American nation, when a free wage-labor market is a highlight with the artisan trades in the colonial period, the origin of the labor movement lays. When the New York journeymen tailors protested a wage reduction in 1768, the earliest recorded strike occurred. The beginning of sustained trade union organization among American workers marks in 1794 as the formation of the Federal Society of Journeymen cordwainers in Philadelphia. After that strike, local labor unions become strong in different cities and mention a list of prices of their different works in the face of the industrial revolution which includes demanding a shorter workday and defending their trades against dilutes and cheap labor increasingly. In 1827, the formation of the union of a trade association in Philadelphia occur and in 1852 labor unions happen at the international level and cover all the local unions according to labor requirements and needs. (Galenson, 1960)

The early labor movement(the mid-1800s to 1900)

With the republican ideal of the American Revolution, the Ricardian labor theory also derives And it focuses on the independence of labor, their social equity and celebrated honest labor. According to labor vision, the economic transforming changes in the industries. The advocate of equal rights mounted a series of reform efforts that occur in the nineteenth century, the beginning with the workingmen’s parties of 1830. National labor union launched in 1866  that was most notable and the knights of labor go to its level in the mid of 1880s as per the industry level. (Cross, 1935)

The changing of the Labor movement(1900-1950)

After 1990, the features and characteristics of the labor union used in most industries and different cities. The color discrimination also minimizes in different sectors of America and national unions more focus on the skills and working level. They also perform racial, ethnic and gender division according to industry requirement. in the trade union, the complete color bar spread. The union objective can be achieved to some extent and due to different court actions and legislation, the Labor’s Bill of Grievances also affected by lots of challenges to different parties. (Stimson, 2013)

The decline of union membership(1950-2000)

With time the grip of labor organization become weak in the industrial sector. In 1970, through the heavily unionized industries, new competitive forces swept and deregulations in transportation and communications also occur. An all-out reform campaign to get the law amended failed in 1978, the once-celebrated National Labor relations Act increasingly hamstrung the labor movement. Anti-union administration power also comes in 1980  with the election of Ronald Reagan. Union membership also falls between 1975 and 1985  and after the introduction of new technologies in the industries less than half of the workers working according to a labor union at the end of the 1980s. (McNeill, 1887)

Present-day unions(2000-present day)

Today many workers also working according to the labor movement and this movement provides a support for the rights of labor. Now the union has become more organized and diverse on a large scale and they provide sufficient wages and salaries to all the workers without gender discrimination.

Reference of on Labor Movement:

Cross, I. B. (1935). A History of the Labor Movement in California. 19-40.

Galenson, W. (1960). A History of the American Labor Movement, 1935-1941. 150-300.

McNeill, G. E. (1887). The Problem of To-day. The History, Purpose, and Possibilities of Labor             Organizations in Europe and America. 517-550.

Stimson, G. H. (2013). Rise of the Labor Movement in Los Angeles. 30-45.