Labor Relations Paper
...role as defenders of America's working families. “ (James P. Hoffa 1941 - )
The roots of our country's labor unions extend deep into the early history of America. Several of the early settlers were working craftsmen. Early groups of carpenters, cabinetmakers and cobblers made their appearance, often temporary, in various cities along the Atlantic seaboard of colonial America. Workers played a significant role in the struggle for independence; carpenters disguised as Mohawk Indians were the "host" group at the Boston Tea Party in 1773. The Continental Congress met in Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia, and there the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. (Economic and Social Impacts of Trade Unions
Canadian Labour Congress March 2004)
Unions come in many forms around the country, but they have much in common. They are organizations that define, promote and fight for the collective interests and rights of workers or a group of workers, especially in relation to employers, but also in relation to the state and civil society. Unions emerged from the difference of interests, which exists between workers and employers. The key-defining feature is that working people gain their livelihood through paid work, that is, by selling their labor to employers. The basic terms of any employment relationship are that workers agree to work under the direction of an employer in return for a salary and sometimes, benefits. If it were not for unions, workers would have to negotiate the terms and conditions of their employment (wages, benefits, hours of work, work schedules, conditions of work, etc.) as individuals, protected only by legal standards.
Unions have a substantial impact on the compensation and work lives of both unionized and non-unionized workers. Unions reduce wage inequality because they raise wages more for low- and...
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