Labor Unions

Labor Unions

Introduction

Labor union is defined as the a form of organization that has been formed for the workers with the purpose of advancing the interest of the members in terms of working conditions, wages and benefits (www.merriam-webster.com). The labor unions have not just increased the wages but also the overall benefits that are received by the employees. The presence of labor unions has helped the employees get almost twenty eight percent more benefits as compared to the nonunionized workers. The union members are twenty percent more likely to have health insurance sponsored by the employer as compared to the nonunion members. The members of union are also forty percent more likely to have pension plans that are sponsored by their employers as compared to the nonunionized employees. The members of a union also receive more paid leave and vacation time as compared to the nonunionized labor (Johnson, n.d.).

In United States of America, most of the people worked and lived on family farms in the early 1800s. The beginning of Industrial Revolution resulted in making these people move towards jobs in railroads, factories and mining. However, they did not realize that they are leaving one hardship for another. They had to work for almost 10 hours per day and had to live in crowded areas with unsanitary conditions. There was no concept of medical coverage, minimum wage, worker's compensation or insurance. Both men and women had to face these problems and the employees that complained were considered as trouble makers and were dismissed from the job (www.temple.edu).

In the late 1800s, the workers started to organize themselves in unions to ensure that their voices are heard by the employer. When the organizations refused to listen to the concern's of the union, the union called for a strike. This resulted in stopping production ...