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The labor movement began to be a part of the US economic landscape in the mid-1800s. The movement was a reaction to the impact that the industrial revolution had on the common worker. Ever since this time, unions have formed and activists have fought for worker's rights, and the phrase "worker strike" has become a part of the American lexicon. Activists For a long time, both individual people (such as Eugene Victor Debbs) and private organizations (such as the National Catholic Welfare Council) championed the cause of workers. One of the most beloved people was Mary Harris Jones, known as Mother Jones to millions. She was known for her organizational prowess, starting strikes on the behalf of mine workers and others. She also organized a long march of sign-holding children, known as the Children's Crusade, so that they could advocate their cause to the president Unions Workers first started to organize in a big way in 1866 under the protection of the NLU (National Labor Union). This was an all-purpose group, unlike today's unions, which generally focus workers in one particular field, such as a teachers' union. The NLU was generally interested in employers treating their workers fairly, and its members concentrated on a few specific goals, such as the eight-hour work day, which Congress passed into law just two years after the NLU's founding, though state laws and loopholes made it impossible to enforce. The NLU also did its best to unite different pro-labor parties and organizations so that they could all work together toward the same goals This groundbreaking organization started a trend in the labor industry, and soon other groups such as the Knights of Labor and the AFL (American Federation of Labor) were popping up to support the same cause. The Knights of Labor went back to the issue of the eight-hour work day, which needed to be re-addressed, and it also campaigned for children's rights. Child labor had gone unaddressed for far too long. The danger had increased during the industrial revolution, which had children working at unsafe and even life-threatening machinery, so the Knights of Labor worked to change that. Meanwhile, the AFL, which was founded around that same time, was one of the most popular unions, and it is one that has stood the test of time. Eventually merging with the Congress of Industrial Organizations, it now exists as the AFL-CIO. Unions are a useful concept, as they have weight during negotiated labor agreements. Strikes Whether in unions or otherwise, workers throughout history have often found that a good way to make their voices heard is to strike. It is a dramatic, attention-catching statement that calls attention to their problems so that they are seen by the world at large. Strikes are often romanticized, especially in popular culture, which has films such as Newsies showing a fictionalized account of the Newsboys Strike of 1899 which portrays the striking newsboys as a collective David against the newspaper moguls' Goliath. Unfortunately, strikes are often more complex than that, and they can cause bad feeling with the workers' employers, who may have some legitimate concerns of their own. They may feel that the striking workers are being greedy, even if their union is not giving them a choice in the matter, so the strike could end up backfiring and could make the employers less flexible during the negotiation or arbitration process. They might even choose to move their labor overseas in a worst-case scenario. That is why many organizations favor negotiated labor agreements over strikes, and rely on it whenever possible. However, strikes are still common even to this day, gaining the most media coverage when the striking workers inconvenience the people who used to use their service. One of the best-known strikes of the modern era was probably the Writers' Strike in 2007 to 2008, during which writers for movies, television, and radio programs all simultaneously went on strike in order to receive better pay. Many shows had shortened seasons that year, causing the country to become aware of the issue and once again proving that strikes have the power to command attention. The Western Steel Council http://www.westernsteelcouncil.org/photos-and-news/ is your source of information for industry news in California and Nevada. Click to see photos of past projects and read news! Visit us to learn more about negotiated labor agreements.
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