Unions and the New Deal
Unions Before the New Deal
During the 1920s union membership began to decline. A mixture of unemployment due to the post war time economy, multiple failed strikes, and powerful Pro-Business Republicans holding office caused union membership to decline nearly thirty percent in ten years [15]. Many employers began to attempt to remove unions from the workplace. Any participants in strikes could be charged with conspiracy and employers made frequent use of hiring strikebreakers or private guards to end strikes, often violently. Due to these tactics strikes became less and less common, as strikers would generally lose their jobs, could be thrown in jail and would often times end up being injured or worse [16]. A campaign employed against the unions called the American Plan attempted to cull unions even farther by depicting them as threats to the unity of the country [15]. By 1930, after the depression hit, union membership was at its lowest point ever. With over a quarter of the country unemployed, unions began to die out. However, in 1932, the Norris-La Guardia Anti-Injunction Act passed, which stopped employees from being forced into signing an agreement saying that they would not join a union.
National Industrial Recovery Act
When Franklin D. Roosevelt became president in 1933 he began taking steps to end the economic crises within the US. One of the first steps he took was passing the National Industrial Recovery Act. This act gave unions the rights to organize and made it illegal for employers to harass workers for being a member of a union. This was the first time that unions had been given rights or acknowledged by a government act [17]. The National Industrial Recovery Act granted discouraged workers a minimum wage of twenty-five cents per hour, and a set maximum amount of hours they were allowed to work per week [18]. To unions though, the most important part of this act was the freedom to organize within a union of the worker's choosing. However the NIRA did not have any power of enforcement written within it, making it difficult to enforce, and was additionally deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court less than two years later [17]. During its two years of operation the NIRA rekindled union action and caused many workers to begin searching for union membership. Unions began to strengthen tremendously during this time.
When Franklin D. Roosevelt became president in 1933 he began taking steps to end the economic crises within the US. One of the first steps he took was passing the National Industrial Recovery Act. This act gave unions the rights to organize and made it illegal for employers to harass workers for being a member of a union. This was the first time that unions had been given rights or acknowledged by a government act [17]. The National Industrial Recovery Act granted discouraged workers a minimum wage of twenty-five cents per hour, and a set maximum amount of hours they were allowed to work per week [18]. To unions though, the most important part of this act was the freedom to organize within a union of the worker's choosing. However the NIRA did not have any power of enforcement written within it, making it difficult to enforce, and was additionally deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court less than two years later [17]. During its two years of operation the NIRA rekindled union action and caused many workers to begin searching for union membership. Unions began to strengthen tremendously during this time.
National Labor Relations Act
However, after the elimination of the National Industrial Recovery Act, the National Labor Relations Act passed merely two months later. With the passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935 unions gained a significant repertoire of improvements. Workers were once again encouraged to join unions, strike where they saw fit, and were allowed to discuss the terms of their employment with their employers, such as insufficient compensation or too harsh of working conditions [15]. Employers were also unable to take adverse action against the employees for being members of unions [15]. This drove increased union membership, as it guaranteed rights to both workers and unions that had never been seen before. During the next five years unions began an extremely sharp increase in membership, jumping from 4 million members to over 7 million members [19]. The growth of unions would continue until the Taft-Hartley Act in 1947.
However, after the elimination of the National Industrial Recovery Act, the National Labor Relations Act passed merely two months later. With the passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935 unions gained a significant repertoire of improvements. Workers were once again encouraged to join unions, strike where they saw fit, and were allowed to discuss the terms of their employment with their employers, such as insufficient compensation or too harsh of working conditions [15]. Employers were also unable to take adverse action against the employees for being members of unions [15]. This drove increased union membership, as it guaranteed rights to both workers and unions that had never been seen before. During the next five years unions began an extremely sharp increase in membership, jumping from 4 million members to over 7 million members [19]. The growth of unions would continue until the Taft-Hartley Act in 1947.
19. Gregory James, “Strikes and Unions,” The Great Depression in Washington State, Accessed November 2, 2013, http://depts.washington.edu/depress/strikes_unions.shtml
20. Frank Lovell, “U.S. Unions in the 1920s and 1980s,” Bulletin Idom, Accessed November 2, 2013 http://www.marxists.org/history/etol/document/fit/usunions.htm
21. Richard Martine, “National Industry Recovery Act,” Improve, Accessed November 2, 2013 www.improve.com/National-Industrial-Recovery-Act/2695
22. “National Industry Recovery Act (1933),” Our Documents, Accessed November 2, 2013 http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=66
23. “Union Membership before and After Wagner Act,” Intellectual Takeout, Accessed November 6, 2013 http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/library/chart-graph/union-membership-and-after-wagner-act
20. Frank Lovell, “U.S. Unions in the 1920s and 1980s,” Bulletin Idom, Accessed November 2, 2013 http://www.marxists.org/history/etol/document/fit/usunions.htm
21. Richard Martine, “National Industry Recovery Act,” Improve, Accessed November 2, 2013 www.improve.com/National-Industrial-Recovery-Act/2695
22. “National Industry Recovery Act (1933),” Our Documents, Accessed November 2, 2013 http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=66
23. “Union Membership before and After Wagner Act,” Intellectual Takeout, Accessed November 6, 2013 http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/library/chart-graph/union-membership-and-after-wagner-act