American Labor Movement
The "labor question," its origins, components, and whether or not it is still relevant.
The "labor question" is the foundation of the American Labor Movement. Drawing from our classwork and paraphrasing Rosanne Currarino's modern restatement of the "labor question(s)": "What should constitute full participation in American society? What standard of living should citizens expect and demand?" (Currarino 112). Concerned with the ideal of an industrial democracy, including a more equitable society with social and financial betterment of working class people, the "labor question" arose during and in response to America's 19th Century (Second) Industrial Revolution. America's Industrial Revolution occurred within the "Gilded Age," named by Mark Twain (Mintz), and lasting roughly from the end of the U.S. Civil War until the beginning of World War I (D.C. Shouter and RAKEN Services). Fueled in part by refined coal and steam power, the American Industrial Revolution transformed America from an agrarian society to an industrialized society and gave rise to significantly wealthy railroad barons such as Jay Gould, banking princes such as Jay Cooke, oil kings such as John D. Rockefeller and industrial tycoons such as Andrew Carnegie (D.C. Shouter and RAKEN Services).
While the Industrial Revolution created enormous wealth for the few who controlled railroads, banks, fuel, utilities and industry, it developed into an unofficial "Dark Ages" for the industrial working class. The pre-union Industrial Revolution feasted on child labor, convict labor and work schedules of 10 -- 16-hour per day, six days per week (Socialstudieshelp.com), for wages of approximately $1.00 per day (Grimes). At that time, "the richest 1% owned 26% of the wealth, and the richest 10% owned 72%" (Grimes). Illustrating the arrogance of the wealthy toward the near-powerless and desperately impoverished industrial working class, railroad baron Jay Gould bragged, "I can hire one half of the working class to kill the other half" (Grimes).
This widely disproportionate division of wealth and power between affluent capitalists and their industrial workers was rightfully considered by the workers to be unjustifiable in America's democratic society. This gave birth to the "labor question," which Eugene V. Debs called "the movement of men that earn their...
American History American Labor History!!! Please attachment, written !!! Thank !!! Technological Changes and Its Effects on Aspects of the U.S. Society Effects of technological changes on urbanization Settlement patterns in the U.S. society have significantly resulted from the scope and magnitude of transportation technology. Economic activities in the U.S. economy are based where there is a sufficient transport network to meet specified needs. American metropolitan areas have experienced and ever increasing inflow of
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Unions give security of jobs and prevent a worker from being sacked without a good reason. It teaches the workers of their rights and prevents them from being oppressed by their workers. Unions provide improved working conditions for the workers. If the workers are working in a hazardous environment, it provides them with all the necessary clothing and gadgets that can prevent them from being harmed. Unions allow workers
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Labor Organizations Discuss the similarities and differences between at least three labor organizations discussed in Chapter 3. The Knights of Labor was a standard labor union comprised of individual workers across the nation. They were inclusive in terms, employing both skilled workers in crafts industries as well as unskilled laborers such as coalminers. (Rayback, 1966, p. 168). They had limited political objectives such as the eight-hour workday and the prohibition of child
Labor Relations What changes are needed for unions to maintain support from their membership, the community, and the employers? In order to maintain support from their membership, the community, and the employers, unions have decided to change the dynamics of organizing by changing the environment and conditions where organizing occurs. They have become conversant with the idea that when the employers decide to use the entire 'arsenal' at their disposal, it becomes
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