NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Organized labor

A union (labor union in Varieties of English AAVE American English Australian English British English Canadian English Caribbean English Commonwealth English English English Hawaiian English Hawaiian Pidgin Hiberno-English Highland English Hong Kong English Indian English International English Jamaican English Liberian English Malaysian English New Zealand English Philippine English Scottish English Singaporean English South African... American English; trade union, sometimes trades union, in Diagram showing the geographical locations of selected languages and dialects of the British Isles. British English (or UK English) (en-GB according to RFC 3066) is a collective term for the forms of English spoken in the British Isles. When used by British speakers, it often refers to the written... British English; either labour union or trade union in Varieties of English AAVE American English Australian English British English Canadian English Caribbean English Commonwealth English English English Hawaiian English Hawaiian Pidgin Hiberno-English Highland English Hong Kong English Indian English International English Jamaican English Liberian English Malaysian English New Zealand English Philippine English Scottish English Singaporean English South African... Canadian English) is a group of The term working class is used to denote a social class. The definition of the term working class is controversial, and depends on the politics and period of the person making the definition and on the society being discussed. For example, pre-war British writers often defined class as being... workers who act collectively to address common issues.

In many countries, unions may acquire the status of a A legal entity or artificial person is a legal construct with legal rights or duties such as the legal capacity to enter into contracts and sue or be sued. It is an entity -- usually an organization such as a corporation or a government -- ultimately composed of natural persons that the... legal entity (called a "collective bargaining agent" in the USA). Typical examples, depending on the country, could be all the assembly workers for one employer, all the teachers in a local school district, or all the workers in a particular industry. In such cases, unions have certain legal rights, most importantly the right to collectively negotiate with an employer (or employers) over wages, working hours and other An employment contract is an agreement entered into between an employer and an employee at the commencement of the period of employment and stating the exact nature of their business relationship, specifically what compensation the employee will receive in exchange for specific work performed. The central focus of most employment... terms and conditions of employment -- meaning that such things are not set unilaterally by management, but must be agreed upon by both parties.

In many circumstances, unions do not have such rights and workers may typically threaten strikes or other collective action to pressure employers to negotiate.

Unions also often use their organizational strength to advocate for social policies and legislation favorable to their members or to workers in general.

The political structure and autonomy of unions varies widely from country to country. The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America¹, the States, or (archaically) Columbia — is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii... American, Canada is an independent sovereign state in northern North America, the northern-most country in the world, and the second largest in total area. Bordering the United States, its territorial claims extend north into the Arctic Ocean as far as the North Pole. Canada is a federation of ten provinces... Canadian and This article is about the continent. For alternative meanings, see: Europe (disambiguation) A comprehensive collection of continental features is found in Europe, albeit on a smaller scale than elsewhere. Mountain ranges, peninsulas, islands and more arid or cold regions can be seen in this satellite composite image of Europe Europe... European unions are founded upon democratic principles and leaders are selected by election process, while in The Great Wall of China, stretching over 6,700 km, was erected beginning in the 3rd century BC to guard the north from raids by men on horses. China listen? ( Traditional: 中國; Simplified: 中国; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chung-kuo) is a nation located chiefly in continental East... China and The Republic of Cuba is an archipelago in the northern Caribbean that lies at the confluence of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. To the north are found the United States and the Bahamas, to the west Mexico, to the south the Cayman Islands and... Cuba, unions are controlled and run by the state.

Contents

5 The Problem of International Comparison

6 Trade unions in Britain

7 Labor unions in the United States

8 Unions in other countries

9 International cooperation

10 News

11 See also

History

The concept of trade unions began early in the The Industrial Revolution is the name given to the massive social, economic, and technological change in 18th century and 19th century Great Britain. It commenced with the introduction of steam power (fuelled primarily by coal) and powered automated machinery (primarily in textile manufacturing). The technological and economic progress of the... industrial revolution. More and more people left Farming, ploughing rice paddy, in Indonesia Agriculture is the process of producing food, feed, fiber and other desired products by cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals (livestock). Agriculture is also known as farming. Most people in the world are involved in agriculture as their primary economic... farming as an occupation and began to work for employers, often in appalling conditions and for very low wages. The labour movement arose as an outgrowth of the disparity between the power of employers and the powerlessness of individual employees.

Unions were illegal for many years in most countries. There were severe penalties for attempting to organize unions, up to and including execution. Despite this, unions were formed and began to acquire political power, eventually resulting in a body of labour law which not only legalized organizing efforts, but codified the relationship between employers and those employees organized into unions. Many consider it an issue of fairness that workers be allowed to pool their resources in a special legal entity in a similar way to the pooling of capital resources in the form of A corporation (usually known in the United Kingdom and Ireland as a company) is a legal entity (distinct from a natural person) that often has similar rights in law to those of a natural person. Civil law systems may refer to corporations as moral persons; they may also go by... corporations.

The right to join a trade union is mentioned in article 23, subsection 4 of the The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (also UDHR) is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (A/RES/217, December 10, 1948), outlining basic human rights. John Peters Humphrey of Canada was its principal drafter. While it is not a legally binding document, it served as the foundation... UDHR, and today a government-imposed ban on joining a union is generally considered a A human rights abuse is abuse of people in a way that violates any fundamental human rights. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (generally accepted as the international standard for human rights), fundamental human rights are violated when: A certain race, creed, or group is denied recognition as... human rights abuse. The UDHR also states in article 20, subsection 2. that "No one may be compelled to belong to an association" and so compulsory state-enforced union membership could also be considered abuse. Most democratic countries have many unions, while most The term authoritarian is used to describe an organization or a state which enforces strong and sometimes oppressive measures against the population, generally without attempts at gaining the consent of the population. In an authoritarian state, citizens are subject to state authority in many aspects of their lives, including many... authoritarian regimes do not, although in most This article is part of the Communism series. Schools of communism Marxism Leninism Trotskyism Marxism-Leninism Stalinism Maoism Anarcho-Communism Titoism Left communism Council communism Eurocommunism Communist parties Cuba China Vietnam USSR Yugoslavia USA Germany Italy Indonesia Socialist States Cuba Vietnam North Korea Laos Socialist Revolutions Nepal Civil War Other... Communist countries unions exist as state organs.

Origin of Unions

Unions are sometimes thought to be successors to medieval A guild is an association of persons of the same trade or pursuits, formed to protect mutual interests and maintain standards of morality or conduct. Historically they were small business associations, since each crafter was a self-employed individual artisan or part of a small craft shop or co-operative... guilds. This is still being debated by historians. Medieval guilds existed to protect and enhance their members' livelihoods, through controlling the Instructional capital is a term used in educational administration, to reflect capital resulting from investment in producing learning materials. This of course depends on whether one subscribes to the concept that the human in which the knowledge is invested is a resource to be exploited. Instructional capital is agreements that... instructional capital of An artisan is a skilled manual worker. An artisan is skilled in a particular craft, using tools and machinery. Artisans were the dominant producers of goods before the Industrial Revolution. Artisan Origins According to standard economic theory, the division of labour occurs with internal market development (Adam Smith). However, according... artisanship, and the progression of members from If youre looking for the TV show, see The Apprentice. Apprenticeships form a traditional method of training a new generation of skilled crafts practitioners. Apprentices (or in early modern usage prentices) built their careers from apprenticeships. The system of apprenticeship first developed in the later Middle Ages and came... apprentice to Craftsman is an artisan who practices a handicraft or trade; a style of architecture and furniture arising from the Arts and Crafts movement; a military rank within the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, equivalent to a private; and a brand of tools. This is a disambiguation page — a navigational... craftsman, A journeyman is a tradesman or craftsman who may well have completed an apprenticeship but is not yet able to set up their own workshop as a master. In parts of Europe, as in later medieval Germany, spending time as a journeyman, moving from one town to another to gain... journeyman, and eventually to master and Grandmaster could mean: The title of the master craftsman leading the organization of a guild or Fraternal organization The title of the leader of an religious order A title to signify some very important or superior talent. Grandmaster Flash In chess, an International Grandmaster The Grandmaster, a fictional character in... grandmaster of their craft. In the rigid hierarchical world of medieval rights and responsibilities, the guild exhibited aspects of the modern trade union, a This article or section should be merged with professional body In countries where the legal system entitles defendants to a jury by their peers, the general public may not be considered sufficiently knowledgeable in a field of practice to act as a peer in some legal cases. For example, the... professional association and the modern A corporation (usually known in the United Kingdom and Ireland as a company) is a legal entity (distinct from a natural person) that often has similar rights in law to those of a natural person. Civil law systems may refer to corporations as moral persons; they may also go by... corporation.

The guilds have also been viewed as cartels, limiting the number of producers and thus stagnating the supply and development of products and production methods and hindering the rise of welfare and living standards.

Since the publication of the History of Trade Unionism ( 1894 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). Contents // 1 Events 2 Births 2.1 January-March 2.2 April-June 2.3 July-September 2.4 October-December 2.5 Unknown date 3 Deaths 4 Fictional events of the year Events January 7 - W.K... 1894) by Categories: UK Labour Party politicians | British MPs | Peers | Secretaries of State for the Colonies (UK) | 1859 births | 1947 deaths | People stubs ... Sidney and Categories: Stub | 1858 births | 1943 deaths ... Beatrice Webb, the predominant historical view is that a trade union "...is a continuous association of wage earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment." (Webb)

A modern definition by the Australian Bureau of Statistics states that a trade union is "...an organisation consisting predominantly of employees, the principal activities of which include the negotiation of rates of pay and conditions of employment for its members".

Yet historian R.A. Leeson, in United we Stand (1971), said: "Two conflicting views of the trade-union movement strove for ascendancy in the nineteenth century: one the defensive-restrictive gild-craft tradition passed down through journeymen's clubs and A friendly society (sometimes called a mutual society or fraternal organization) is a mutual association for insurance-like purposes, and often, especially in the past, serving ceremonial and friendship purposes also. Before large-scale government and employer health insurance, friendly societies played an important part in many peoples lives... friendly societies,...the other the aggressive-expansionist drive to unite all 'labouring men and women' for a 'different order of things'..."

Recent historical research by Dr Bob James in Craft, Trade or Mystery (2001), puts forward that trade unions are part of a broader movement of benefit societies, which includes medieval A guild is an association of persons of the same trade or pursuits, formed to protect mutual interests and maintain standards of morality or conduct. Historically they were small business associations, since each crafter was a self-employed individual artisan or part of a small craft shop or co-operative... guilds, American Square & Compasses Freemasonry is a worldwide fraternal organization. Its members are joined together by shared ideals of both a moral and metaphysical nature, and, in most of its branches, by a common belief in a Supreme Being. Freemasonry is an esoteric art, in that certain aspects of its... Freemasons, The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is an ancient fraternal organization thought to have been established in England in the mid-1700s. Its ladys auxiliary is known as the Rebekah Degree. Its uniformed degree, the Patriarchs Militant are sometimes seen marching in parades in the United States. External links... Oddfellows, A friendly society (sometimes called a mutual society or fraternal organization) is a mutual association for insurance-like purposes, and often, especially in the past, serving ceremonial and friendship purposes also. Before large-scale government and employer health insurance, friendly societies played an important part in many peoples lives... friendly societies and other A fraternal organization is an organization that represents the relationship between its members as akin to brotherhood. There is a great deal of overlap between the terms Friendly Society and fraternal organization. Most mystical organizations are also fraternal. See also Ordo Templi Orientis Freemasonry Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis Service... Fraternal organizations.

Shop types

Companies that employ workers with a union generally operate on one of several models:

In a closed shop, a business may only hire workers who already belong to the union. The compulsory In organized labor, a hiring hall is an organization, usually under the auspices of a labor union, which has the responsibility of furnishing new recruits for employers who have a collective bargaining agreement with the union. The employers use of the hiring hall may be voluntary or it may... hiring hall is the most extreme example of a closed shop - in this case the employer must procure new employees directly from the union.
In a union shop, a business may hire anyone, but workers must join the union within a designated amount of time after they start work (this is known as a "closed shop" in British English)
In an agency shop, workers may choose to not join the union, but must pay a fee to the union for its services in negotiating their contract. This is sometimes called the The Rand formula (also referred to as automatic check-off) refers to a workplace situation where payment of labor union dues is mandatory even if the worker is not a member of the union. The name comes from Supreme Court of Canada justice Ivan Rand, who introduced this formula in... Rand formula. In certain situations involving state government employees, for example For other uses, see California (disambiguation). State of California (Flag of California) (Seal of California) State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd) - Land 404,298 km² - Water... California, fair share laws make it easy to require these sorts of payments.
In an open shop, a business may employ anyone it likes, regardless of their union status, and workers are not required to associate with a union at all.

Criticism

Trade unions are often accused to benefit the insider workers, those having a secure job and high productivity, at the cost of the outsider workers, those who are unemployed or at the risk of unemployment or who are not able to get the job that they want. The so-called insider-outsider theory analyzes this problem.

Usually, the marginal benefit of an additional worker decreases as the number of workers increase. This implies that the lower the The minimum wage is the minimum rate a worker can legally be paid (usually per hour) as opposed to wages that are determined by the forces of supply and demand in a free market. Each country sets its own minimum wage laws and regulations, and many countries have no minimum... minimum wage, the more workers a company can profitably employ. Thus, while an increase in the minimum wage benefits the insiders, as a result less new workers are employed and less retiring workers are substituted by a new one. In a capital-intensive production plant this effect is typically smaller than in a work-intensive service company.

The economic analysis of a A cartel is a group of producers whose goal it is to fix prices, to limit supply and to limit competition. Cartels are prohibited by antitrust laws in most countries; however, they continue to exist nationally and internationally, formally and informally. In general, cartels are economically unstable in that there... cartel applies completely to most unions, to those that try to fix the (minimum) price of work, to limit supply (e.g., by some criteria on membership or education) or to limit competition. On the other hand, unions often have also other functions than those of a cartel: they may advise the workers, warn about disadvantageous contracts or terms of employment etc. These latter functions are usually considered as beneficial for both the workers and for the society as a whole (though not necessarily for corporations or shareholders), whereas the opposite applies to cartel-type minimum terms.

Often the union on a particular industry puts pressure on politicians to subsidize the industry concerned. This benefits both the workers, companies, shareholders and consumers of the product of that industry at a cost to other people. Thus, it depends on the question whether the interests of a trade union are for or against the interests of the companies, workers, unemployed, tax-payers or the society as a whole.

The Problem of International Comparison

As labour law is very diverse in different countries, so is the function of unions. For instance in Germany, only open shops are legal. This affects the function and services of the union. On the other hand, German unions have played a greater role in management decisions through participation in corporate boards and Co-determination is a practice whereby a labor union or worker representatives are given seats on a companys board of directors. German unions have played a greater role in management decisions through participation in corporate boards and co-determination than have unions in the United States. See also Labor... co-determination than have unions in the United States.

In addition, unions have very different relationships with political parties in different countries. In many countries unions have formed long-term relationships with a political party which is intended to represent the interests of working people. Typically this is a In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition... left-wing or The color red and particularly the red flag are traditional symbols of Socialism. This article or section is part of or related to the Socialism series. Socialism Branches of Socialism Criticisms of Socialism Definitions of Socialism History of socialism List of social democratic parties List of socialists Socialist International Social... socialist party, but there have been many exceptions. In the United States, by contrast, while the labor movement is historically aligned with the The neutrality and factual accuracy of this article are disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. Unofficial Democratic Party logo depicts a stylized donkey in red, white, and blue. Democratic Party Founded: Colors: Blue (sometimes Red) Political ideology: Leans Center-Left The Democratic Party is one of... Democratic Party, the labor movement is by no means monolithic on that point; the The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America, commonly known as the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) or simply the Teamsters, is one of the largest labor unions in the United States. A teamster was originally a person who drives a team of oxen or, later, a... International Brotherhood of Teamsters has supported This article is about the modern United States Republican Party. For the older Republican Party, which is now known as the Democratic-Republican Party, see Democratic-Republican Party (United States). The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. Modern Republican party logo... Republican Party candidates on a number of occasions and the The Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization was a labor union which formerly represented air traffic controllers and weather observers in the United States in matters relating to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. It came to national attention when it declared a strike on August 3, 1981... Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) endorsed Ronald Reagan Order: 40th President Term of Office: January 20, 1981–January 20, 1989 Preceded by: Jimmy Carter Succeeded by: George H.W. Bush Date of birth: February 6, 1911 Place of birth: Tampico, Illinois Date of death: June 5, 2004 Place of death: Los Angeles, California First Lady... Ronald Reagan in 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. Years: 1977 1978 1979 - 1980 - 1981 1982 1983 Decades: 1950s 1960s 1970s - 1980s - 1990s 2000s 2010s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1980 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music - Television Science and technology Aviation - Rail transport - Science Other topics... 1980 (the following year, Reagan effectively destroyed PATCO, breaking a strike by bringing in permanent replacement workers). The Categories: Stub | AFL-CIO ... AFL-CIO has refused to take a pro-choice stance on abortion so as not to alienate its large The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. Members generally prefer the term Catholic Church, but this term has multiple meanings (see Catholicism); the term Roman Catholic Church is used in this article to avoid... Catholic constituency. In the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and a member of the British Commonwealth and European Union. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, UK or, inaccurately, as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent parts. Three of these parts... United Kingdom the labour movement's relationship with the The Labour Party is a centre-left or social democratic political party in Britain (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. Under its leader Tony Blair it won a landslide in the 1997 general election, and formed its first government since 1979. It... Labour Party is fraying as party leadership embarks on privatization plans at odds with what some perceive as workers' interests.

Finally, the structure of employment laws affects unions' roles. In many western European countries wages and benefits are largely set by governmental action. The United States takes a more Laissez-faire is short for laissez faire, laissez passer, a French phrase meaning to let things alone, let them pass. First used by the eighteenth century Physiocrats as an injunction against government interference with trade, it is now used as a synonym for strict free market economics. Laissez-faire economic... laissez-faire approach, setting some minimum standards but leaving most workers' wages and benefits to collective bargaining and market forces.

Trade unions in Britain

The legal status of trade unions in the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and a member of the British Commonwealth and European Union. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, UK or, inaccurately, as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent parts. Three of these parts... United Kingdom was established by a In countries that are members of the Commonwealth a Royal Commission is a major government inquiry into an issue. They have been held in countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. A Royal Commissioner has considerable powers, generally greater even than those of a judge but restricted to... Royal Commission in 1867, which agreed that the establishment of the organisations was to the advantage of both employers and employees. Most British unions are members of the TUC, the Trades Union Congress headquarters at Congress House in Great Russell Street near Tottenham Court Road, Camden, London. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is a British organisation that represents the UKs trade unions. These consist of 71 affiliated unions with a total of about seven million members. The TUCs... Trades Union Congress, and where appropriate, the The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) is the co-ordinating body of trade unions in Scotland. It is a separate organisation from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) of England and Wales. The current head of the STUC is Bill Speirs. External link STUC Website ... Scottish Trades Union Congress and the The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), formed in 1959 by the merger of the Irish Trade Union Congress (founded in 1894) and the Congress of Irish Unions (founded in 1945), is the organisation to which trade unions in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland affiliate. There are... Irish Congress of Trade Unions, which are the country's principal A national trade union center is a federation of trade unions in a single country. Nearly every country in the world has a national trade union center, and many have more than one. When there is more than one national center, it is usually because of ideological differences -- in some... national trade union centers. The The Labour Party is a centre-left or social democratic political party in Britain (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. Under its leader Tony Blair it won a landslide in the 1997 general election, and formed its first government since 1979. It... Labour Party arose from the organised labour movement and still has extensive links with it. The Right Honourable Margaret Thatcher Period in Office: 4 May 1979 – 28 November 1990 PM Predecessor: James Callaghan PM Successor: John Major Date of Birth: 13 October 1925 Place of Birth: Grantham, England Political Party: Conservative Retirement honour: Knighthood of the Garter Life Barony (Thatcher) The Right Honourable Margaret... Margaret Thatcher's governments weakened the powers of the unions in the Millennia: 1st millennium - 2nd millennium - 3rd millennium Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1950s 1960s 1970s - 1980s - 1990s 2000s 2010s Years: 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 Contents // 1 Events and trends 1.1 Technology 1.2 Science 1.3 War, peace and politics... 1980s and some within the British trades union movement criticise The Rt Hon. Tony Blair Appointed PM: 2 May 1997 PM Predecessor: John Major Date of Birth: 6 May 1953 Place of Birth: Edinburgh, Scotland Political Party: Labour The Right Honourable Anthony Charles Lynton Blair, commonly called Tony Blair (born 6 May 1953) has served as Prime Minister of the... Tony Blair's Labour government for not reversing some of Thatcher's changes since taking office in 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Reef. Years: 1994 1995 1996 - 1997 - 1998 1999 2000 Decades: 1960s 1970s 1980s - 1990s - 2000s 2010s 2020s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1997 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art... 1997.

Labor unions in the United States

Most labor unions in the United States are members of a larger umbrella organization, the Categories: Stub | AFL-CIO ... AFL-CIO, or the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations. The AFL-CIO advocates for policies and legislation favorable to workers in the United States and Canada. The AFL-CIO also often works with other international and national unions on global trade issues.

Unions of workers in the private sector are tightly regulated and overseen by the United States Department of Labor under the authority of the The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (or Wagner Act) protects the rights of workers in the private sector of the United States to organize unions, to engage in collective bargaining over wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment, and to take part in strikes and other forms of... National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), passed in 1935, which is Administered by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). To join a union, workers must either win voluntary recognition from their employer or have a majority of workers in a "bargaining unit," as determined by the federal government, vote for union representation. In either case, the government must certify the existence of the union.

Unions for public sector workers are governed by labor laws and labor boards in each of the 50 states; in many states, typically those in the north, these laws and boards are modelled after the NLRA and the NLRB. In other states, public workers have no right to establish a union as a legal entity. (About 40% of public employees in the USA do not have the right to organize a legally established union.)

Once the union has won the support of a majority of the bargaining unit and is certified in a workplace, it has the sole authority to negotiate the conditions of employment. However, the NLRA provides mechanisms for the establishment of a union representing only those members of the barganing unit who expressly request representation, in such cases as those members do not constitute a majority (see Charles Morris). This unionization model was once in widespread practice, but was in large part discarded when unions began to consistently win majority support. However, due to recent developments in labor law that unions view as having effectively curbed workers' ability to organize, unions are beginning to revisit the "members only" model of unionism.

The terms and conditions of employment are spelled out in a legally binding contract between the employer and the union. When disputes arise over the contractual agreement, most contracts call for the parties to resolve their differences through a grievance process to see if the dispute can be mutually resolved. If the union and the employer still cannot settle the matter, either party can choose to send the dispute to Arbitration, in the law, is a form of alternative dispute resolution — specifically, a legal alternative to litigation whereby the parties to a dispute agree to submit their respective positions (through agreement or hearing) to a neutral third party (the arbitrator(s) or arbiter(s)) for resolution. Contents // 1 Contracts... arbitration, where the case is argued before a neutral third party.

The The Taft-Hartley Act severely restricted the activities and power of labor unions in the United States. The Act, officially known as the Labor-Management Relations Act, was sponsored by Senator Robert Taft and Representative Fred Hartley. U.S. President Harry S. Truman described the act as a slave-labor... Taft-Hartley Act, passed in 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). Contents // 1 Events 1.1 January 1.2 February 1.3 March 1.4 April 1.5 May 1.6 June 1.7 July 1.8 August 1.9 September 1.10 October 1.11 November... 1947 over the veto of President For the victim of Mt. St. Helens, see Harry Truman (volcano victim). Harry S. Truman Order: 33rd President Term of Office: April 12, 1945 - January 20, 1953 Predecessor: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Successor: Dwight D. Eisenhower Date of Birth Thursday, May 8, 1884 Place of Birth: Lamar, Missouri Date of Death... Harry Truman, severely limits the powers of unions in the United States, and remains in effect. Closed shops are forbidden; union shops are allowed within the limits allowed by the statute and subject to additional conditions imposed by the In the United States the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is a five-person appointed federal agency charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor pratices. The NLRB was established in 1935 through passage of the National Labor Relations Act, better known as... National Labor Relations Board and the courts. Jurisdictional strikes (where two unions each claim work that they believe should be assigned to the workers they represent) and secondary boycotts (boycotts against an allegedly neutral company that does business with another company with which a union has labor dispute) were made illegal. Unions are no longer allowed to donate money to federal political campaigns.

Most importantly, the bill provided the executive branch of the Federal government with the ability to obtain legal strikebreaking injunctions if an actual or impending strike "imperiled the national health or safety", a test that has been in practice interpreted loosely by the courts.

In the 1950s, many U.S. unions lost much of their prestige when links to organized crime were discovered. Since the 1970s, union membership has been steadily declining in the private-sector while growing in the public sector (that is, unions of government employees).

... Right-to-work statutes forbid unions from negotiating agency shops. Thus, while unions do exist in so-called "right-to-work" states, they are typically weaker. Such states are humorously referred to as "right-to-work-for-less" states by union members.

Unions in other countries

Some countries such as The Kingdom of Sweden ( Swedish: Konungariket Sverige listen?) is a Nordic country in Scandinavia, in Northern Europe. It is bordered by Norway on the west, Finland on the northeast, the Skagerrak Strait and the Kattegat Strait on the southwest, and the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia on... Sweden, The Republic of Finland ( Finnish: Suomen tasavalta, Swedish: Republiken Finland) is a Nordic country in northeastern Europe, bordered by the Baltic Sea to the southwest, the Gulf of Finland to the southeast and the Gulf of Bothnia to the west. Finland has land frontiers with Sweden, Norway and Russia and... Finland, and the other The Nordic countries (Greenland not shown) The Nordic countries is a term used collectively for five countries in Northern Europe. The Nordic countries have an aggregate population of about 24 million. The Nordic Countries are also the member countries of the Nordic Council: Denmark Finland Iceland Norway Sweden In addition... Nordic countries have strong, centralized unions, where every type of work has a specific union, which are then gathered in large national union confederations. The largest Swedish union confederation is The Swedish Trade Union Confederation (Landsorganisationen i Sverige or LO) an umbrella organisation for sixteen Swedish trade unions that organise blue collar workers. The Confederation, which gathers in total almost two million employees, was founded in 1898 by members of the Swedish Social Democratic Party. The sixteen affiliates of the... LO, Landsorganisationen. LO has almost two million members, which is more than a fifth of Sweden's population. Finland's equivalent is The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions, usually referred to by the acronym SAK (Finnish: Suomen Ammattiliittojen Keskusjärjestö) is the biggest trade union confederation in Finland. Its member organisations have a total of more than one million members, which makes up about one fifth of the countrys population... SAK, the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions, with about one million members out of the country's 5.2 million inhabitants. France is thought to have one of the lowest union densities in Europe, however unions are much more likely to strike in France than they are in Northern Europe. France also has a much higher unemployment rate than the nations of Northern Europe.

The The Australia labour movement reaches back to the 19th century and has a long tradition of organised unions of workers. Currently, the most influential branch of the labour union movement are the registered trade unions affiliated to the Australian Council of Trade Unions. This has not always been the case... Australian labour movement has a long history of The neutrality and factual accuracy of this article are disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. Craft unionism, or sometimes trade unionism, is a labor union organizing method by which labor unions are divided along the lines of workers specific trades, regardless of what industry they work... craft, trade and Industrial unionism is a labor union organizing method through which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union -- regardless of skill or trade -- thus giving workers in one industry, or in all industries, more leverage in bargaining and in strike situations. Advocates of industrial unionism value... industrial unionism. While unions have sometimes been very strong, at the moment they are relatively weak and in decline, due in part to the actions of Prime Minister John Howard and the Liberal party.

International cooperation

The largest organization of trade union members in the world is the Brussels-based Claiming 157 million members in 225 affiliated organisations in 148 countries and territories, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) came into being on December 7, 1949 following a split within the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). Alleging Communist domination of the WFTUs central institutions, a large... International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, which today has 231 affiliated organisations in 150 countries and territories, with a combined membership of 158 million. Other global trade union organizations are the World Confederation of Labour and the The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) was established in the wake of the Second World War to bring together trade unions across the world in a single international organization, much like the United Nations. After a number of Western trade unions left it in 1949, as a result of... World Federation of Trade Unions.

National and regional trade unions organising in specific industry sectors or occupational groups also form global union federations, such as Union Network International (UNI), calling itself a global union, is a global union federation for skills and services, gathering national and regional trade unions. It was launched on January 1, 2000. Its more than 900 affiliated unions in 140 countries have 15 million members. UNI has several sector committees for... Union Network International and the International Federation of Journalists, IFJ, is global union federation of journalists trade unions. The organization aims to protect and strengthen the rights and freedoms of journalists. It is also dedicated to working for solidarity, social justice, labor rights, globalization, democracy, human rights, and fighting poverty and corruption. The IFJ claims... International Federation of Journalists.

News

There are several sources of current news about the trade union movement in the world. These include LabourStart is the online news service of the international trade union movement. Founded in March 1998, it distributes news both from its own website and also through a news syndication service which is used by over 500 trade union websites around the world. News is collected by a network of... LabourStart and the official website of the international trade union movement Global Unions (http://www.global-unions.org).

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