Sociology Labor Studies Essay

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Sociology: Labor Studies

Unionization

This particular excerpt from The Oxford Companion to American Politics provides a fairly attenuated summary of the history and the efficacy of American labor unions. It traces the chronology of union involvement within labor practices dating from the founding of the American Federation of Labor in 1886, to the present day splintering of union solidarity that accounts for virtually all-time low participation rates. Furthermore, this excerpt provides a readily accessible synopsis of the benefits that membership in unions yields to its employees, which are readily contrasted with the benefits and wage information of non-union employees. The government's involvement in both the incline and decline of unions in the United States is recounted as well, while certain key facets of union membership (such as stratifications including the public and private sectors of labor) are also detailed in relation to economic, political, and technological changes throughout the years.


According to this excerpt, the U.S. government played a profound role in the development and eventual decline of union prowess and density. The goal of unions, of course, is to unite workers throughout a particular industry and allow for more rights and a better quality of life for such employees. The government's involvement was crucial to initial union success during the Great Depression, by enabling the passing of legislation, most notably the National Labor Relations Act (which is also called the Wagner Act), that allowed for unionization and collective bargaining. One of the most prominent of unions, the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) was founded soon after in 1937. Union involvement would flourish the most during the 1950s, when 35% of all eligible workers….....

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"Sociology Labor Studies", 12 January 2012, Accessed.20 May. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/sociology-labor-studies-48826