"It was the labor movement that helped secure so much of what we take for granted today. The 40-hour work week, the minimum wage, family leave, health insurance, Social Security, Medicare, retirement plans. The cornerstones of the middle-class security all bear the union label." -Barack Obama
Effects on the Modern World
In the modern United States, unions have had many effects. They, over the years, have fought for higher pay and safer working conditions, among other things. Something about these unions must have worked because many of them are still active today. There are many reasons why they are still active. Unions had a lasting impact on the ending of child labor and sweat shop type working conditions, so people wanted them to stick around. The ILGWU (International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union), for example is a union that helped rally for better working conditions and pay for women, and is still around today. Union workers average 10%-30% higher pay than people who do not work in a union. In California, 16.7% of working people are in unions, when in most other states the average is 12.1%, which is still a high amount. Unions may not be as powerful now, as they were then, but if they weren’t so successful and important, they probably would not have survived for almost 150 years.
Today, most labor unions are part of one of two major organizations: the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) or the Change to Win Federation, which was part of the AFL-CIO, but separated into it's own organization sometime in 2005. Both organizations support the wants of workers in America and Canada, and take an active role in politics, usually favoring the Democratic party. Today, there are also labor union laws in each of the 50 states. Problems unions are fighting for today are mostly issues about healthcare and lay-offs.
Today, most labor unions are part of one of two major organizations: the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) or the Change to Win Federation, which was part of the AFL-CIO, but separated into it's own organization sometime in 2005. Both organizations support the wants of workers in America and Canada, and take an active role in politics, usually favoring the Democratic party. Today, there are also labor union laws in each of the 50 states. Problems unions are fighting for today are mostly issues about healthcare and lay-offs.