Labor unions are associations of workers for the purpose of improving the economic status and working conditions of the employees through collective bargaining with employers (Union pp). The two general types of unions are the horizontal, or craft, union, which is composed of members who are skilled in a particular craft, such as the International Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, and the vertical, or industrial, union, which includes

Furthermore these employers normally operate in third-world countries, where the cheapest possible labor is available as a result of the high demand for employment. These employers normally thrive in the import/export industry, where very high profits are to be made from goods produced at very low labor costs. The employment situation is normally short-term, and laborer turnover is high. These are not elements that affect the profit of the

However, they are not as relevant as they used to be primarily due to the fact that they no longer represent the majority of U.S. workers that they formerly represented. In 1970 "400,000 workers stayed off the job for 10 weeks" (Golway, 2007, p. 8) in a United Autoworkers strike against General Motors (G.M.). Golway compares that number and the length of the strike against G.M. with a one-day

Skills - Labor Unions Labor Unions: The End, or Just the Beginning? The history of labor unions has been a rollercoaster of alternating growth and decline. Commencing with reactions to the pre-union "Dark Ages" of Industrialization, unionization has enjoyed periods of enormous growth and suffered periods of devastating counteractions, marked by notable movements, strikes, and legislation. Currently undergoing a period of weakened influence, unions are now forced to face the challenges

Role of Labor Unions in Industrial Relations In their definition, labor unions have always been known as organizations that have always aimed at getting their members both financial and non-financial benefits. The role of labor unions is however bigger than that and they have been known to aid in helping employers improve the productivity and discipline of their workers. Labor unions respond to issues differently. This is explained by the differences

Outsourcing Jobs and Labor Laws Outsourcing Jobs to Foreign Countries Without Fair Labor Laws government currently does not prohibit companies from outsourcing jobs to foreign countries that do not have unions and/or fair labor laws. Whether this practice is acceptable or should be stopped is worthy of consideration. There are two main reasons for researching this topic. First, the cost to outsource to foreign countries is often much less than the cost