1) Higher pay
2) Better working conditions
3) Job security.

1932 — Norris-LaGuardia Act — Prevented courts from acting against peaceful strikes, picketing or boycotts.

Companies could no longer go to court against peaceful strikes and had to negotiate with unions.
1935 — Wagner Act — National Labor Relations Act — National Labor Relations Board — Oversees NLRA, elections, Unfair Labor practices.
Gave workers the right to join to joins unions and to bargain collectively through their own chosen representatives.
Certain employer activities were defined as unfair labor practices.
Interfering with efforts to organize a union.
Discriminating against employees engaged in union activities.
If a fair election the employer had to recognize and bargain with that union.

1939 — Fair Labor Standards Act — covered businesses in or affected by interstate commerce.

Set minimum wage.
Called for time and a half. Defined overtime as over 40 hours per week.
Forbid labor by children under 16.
Forbid hazardous jobs by anyone under 18.
War — State of National Emergency — President and Government assumed special control. No strikes. etc.
Price Controls in World War II — what did business do to attract workers — insurance, retirement, paid vacations.
1947 — Taft Hartley Act limited union activity by restrictions on what Unions could do in labor management disputes.

Employers could now sue unions for breaking contracts.
Prohibited unions from requiring union membership a condition for hiring.
Unions could no longer give money to political campaigns.
Union now required to give 60 days notice before going on strike.
80 day cooling off period courts to use to stop a strike in case of a national emergency.
Individual states could pass right to work laws. - Law making it illegal to require a worker to join a union.

If a state does not have a right-to-work law, workers can be forced to join a union after they are hired.


AFL — American Federation of Labor formed as a craft union in 1886 for various crafts. Samuel Gompers.
CIO — Committee for Industrial Organization formed in 1935 on a difference of opinion of the role and future of unions.
CIO — 1937 expelled from the AFL. Changed name to the Congress of Industrial Organizations.
Headed by John L. Lewis of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA).
By 1940 the CIO had organized steel and automotive workers and had a total membership of 7 millions members.
Fought over who had the right to organize workers into their union. Craft vs. trade union?
1955 — merged to form the AFL-CIO.
Jurisdictional Dispute — disagreement as to which union has authority to perform of work. Pipe fitter or metal workers.
Independent Unions still exist. Unions not belonging to the AFL-CIO. Brotherhood of Operating Engineers, Locomotive Engineers.

John L. Lewis - Coal Miner - Came through the ranks to become president of United Mine Workers. Differed that unions were separated on the basis of a single trade or a craft. Believed unskilled workers in a mass production industry should be unionized. Became famous for his fights against unfair labor practices. Defied the federal government, represented millions of poorly paid workers, spoke on democratic principle but was an autocrat. 1946 Coal Mine Strike. Possbily as the cause for the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947.

1. - Closed Shop — Employer agrees to hire only union members.
Because of Taft Hartley Act made illegal for companies in interstate commerce. Construction Unions.
2. - Union Shop — Worker must join union after employment. Usually 30 days.
3. - Modified Union Shop — workers can voluntarily join after employment but cannot quit the union.
4. - Agency Shop — Workers are not required to join but must pay fair share and covered by contract. Fair Share provision.

procedure when right of workers might be violated to negotiate a settlement.

Methods are to settle labor-management disputes if collective bargaining fails:

1. Mediation — third party recommends a compromise to both sides. Helps break the deadlock. Not binding.
2. Arbitration —both side agree to arbitration and Arbitrator's decision will be accepted as final and binding.
Mediation is recommendation, Arbitration is binding and final.
Voluntary and Compulsory Arbitration may be called for in the contract.
3. Fact Finding —agreement between union and management to have a neutral third party collect facts about a dispute.
Fact Finer determine the true fact and presents non-binding recommendations based on the facts.
4. Injunction — Governments right to have a court to order 1) union no to strike or 2) company not to lock out its workers.
5. Seizure — Right of the Government to seize industry in the national interest and to negotiate labor agreement..