As we are approaching the one hundredth anniversary of what many believe to be the true beginnings of labor unions, there are many people today that have come to blame unions in many cases for some of our economic woes. These people state that he unions have gotten too powerful, and far too greedy. However, a real evaluation of the situation indicates that unions are certainly still needed today, and that workers still need representation.
On Saturday afternoon, March 25, 1911, the largest single tragedy in the history of New York City (until the horrors of the 9-11 World Trade Center attack) occurred. At about 4:40 PM on that date, a fire broke out on the middle of the three upper floors of a building in the Washington Square section of New York, that housed the Triangle Shirt Waist Company. One hundred forty six people, predominantly Italian and Jewish immigrant women and girls, perished in this industrial disaster. The exposure, grief, and publicity, as well as the ensuing protests, garnered public support for mandatory safety measures to protect workers. The incredibly low pay, long work weeks (averaging six 14 hour days), and substandard conditions, as well as a lack of even minimal safety standards, were amongst the many findings discovered after this catastrophe. After that, unions such as the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) gained clout and credibility, defending and demanding the rights of workers to be paid a living wage and safety, as well as some security and basic rights.
One might say that these conditions no longer exist, so why are unions needed today. There are many political implications that one could discuss, but the basic moral and ethical reason is to prevent the "haves" from abusing and taking advantage of the "have nots," and that workers be given some sort of "safety net." In the past year, we have witnessed in parts of the world (and remember, in our multinational society, what occurs in one place impacts others) killed in fires in a fire in Malaysia, mine collapses, and extremely low salaries paid in "sweat shops" that supply manufacturers of products sold in the United States. Large retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Target, JCPenny, H&M, and others, continue to purchase products manufactured under these circumstances. Many large companies "outsource" much of their manufacturing outside the country, and thus the low quality of the conditions directly impacts us in this country. There is probably a considerable correlation between some of our unemployment rate and the increase in outsourcing.
Have some unions acted unreasonably at times? There is no doubt about that, but remember that companies negotiate with these unions, and better communication, and better "fair" treatment of workers would probably alleviate some of the "power" of these out of control situations. However, simply because there are some "bad apples," does not mean that workers do not need protections and representation. We are also experiencing situations where state governments are attempting to reconcile their state's economic woes on the backs of their municipal workers, and using them as scapegoats, and proposing eliminating even their right to collective bargaining. They are representing this as being fiscally necessary, but we must recognize that while states can and should evaluate how many workers they need, they should not be able to make the decision unilaterally. Even from a "numbers" point of view, what happens if states have massive layoffs? Wouldn't that end up with even higher unemployment figures?
What we need is a return to responsible unions that represent workers needs, negotiate in their best behalf, but work in a spirit of greater cooperation. Creating a polarization and blaming unions for everything is certainly unproductive!
On Saturday afternoon, March 25, 1911, the largest single tragedy in the history of New York City (until the horrors of the 9-11 World Trade Center attack) occurred. At about 4:40 PM on that date, a fire broke out on the middle of the three upper floors of a building in the Washington Square section of New York, that housed the Triangle Shirt Waist Company. One hundred forty six people, predominantly Italian and Jewish immigrant women and girls, perished in this industrial disaster. The exposure, grief, and publicity, as well as the ensuing protests, garnered public support for mandatory safety measures to protect workers. The incredibly low pay, long work weeks (averaging six 14 hour days), and substandard conditions, as well as a lack of even minimal safety standards, were amongst the many findings discovered after this catastrophe. After that, unions such as the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) gained clout and credibility, defending and demanding the rights of workers to be paid a living wage and safety, as well as some security and basic rights.
One might say that these conditions no longer exist, so why are unions needed today. There are many political implications that one could discuss, but the basic moral and ethical reason is to prevent the "haves" from abusing and taking advantage of the "have nots," and that workers be given some sort of "safety net." In the past year, we have witnessed in parts of the world (and remember, in our multinational society, what occurs in one place impacts others) killed in fires in a fire in Malaysia, mine collapses, and extremely low salaries paid in "sweat shops" that supply manufacturers of products sold in the United States. Large retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Target, JCPenny, H&M, and others, continue to purchase products manufactured under these circumstances. Many large companies "outsource" much of their manufacturing outside the country, and thus the low quality of the conditions directly impacts us in this country. There is probably a considerable correlation between some of our unemployment rate and the increase in outsourcing.
Have some unions acted unreasonably at times? There is no doubt about that, but remember that companies negotiate with these unions, and better communication, and better "fair" treatment of workers would probably alleviate some of the "power" of these out of control situations. However, simply because there are some "bad apples," does not mean that workers do not need protections and representation. We are also experiencing situations where state governments are attempting to reconcile their state's economic woes on the backs of their municipal workers, and using them as scapegoats, and proposing eliminating even their right to collective bargaining. They are representing this as being fiscally necessary, but we must recognize that while states can and should evaluate how many workers they need, they should not be able to make the decision unilaterally. Even from a "numbers" point of view, what happens if states have massive layoffs? Wouldn't that end up with even higher unemployment figures?
What we need is a return to responsible unions that represent workers needs, negotiate in their best behalf, but work in a spirit of greater cooperation. Creating a polarization and blaming unions for everything is certainly unproductive!
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