Urban Industrial America: 1865-1900

Introduction

Labor union is a union formed when individuals related through employment organize themselves together to form a group that will safeguard their interests as workers . The individuals may be unskilled workers , skilled , professional or even unemployed . The major purpose of a union is to maintain and or improve the prevailing conditions of employment . The unions are used as a tool by which employees and their companies relate in the working place to create rules and regulations of employment . Good working relationships are required from both parties to maintain high production

in the working place . The main objectives of trade unions were mainly , providing benefits to its members such as insuring the workers against unemployment , bad health and old age (Divine 2006 . Provide collective bargaining for employees in terms of better wages and improved working conditions . Take industrial actions by organizing strikes and lockouts to further their objectives . Unions also got involved in political activities that may promote legislation of laws that favor workers

History Of Trade Unions In America

The evolution of trade unions is based on the objectives and interests of communal groups as a result of modern industrialization . These interests are context dependent . It is had to have regulations to ensure that this trade unions and collective bargaining institutions remain focused to their roles . For the last two hundred years , labor union in America has undergone different forms and changes that are normally influenced by differing political and also economic regimes . The immediate goals and activities and objectives of trade unions may vary however , they are geared towards improving the general working conditions of a worker . So where do America trade history begin

of the Knights of St Crispin

Among the early union formed in America was the of the Knights of St Crispin which was established in 1867 and had 50 ,000 members after three years that is in 1870 (Divine 2006 . However , the union was badly organized and it started declining after being formed . The union fought for infringement of machinery and also unskilled labor in the shoe industry , it also wanted the shoe workers to have their own autonomy For example , a provision in their constitution clearly wanted to limit the use of machines in the industry , but , this failed since the new machines that were being implemented could be run by semi- skilled employees and was producing more shoes compared to hand sewing . The very first local union movements were founded after the Civil War , at that time the National Labor Union (NLU ) was the first federation of labor unions in America however , it was short lived (Divine , 2006

The Knights of labor and American Federation of Labor (AFL

Labor union in America underwent a major historical development in 1869 when the Knights of labor was founded this was the very first national labor union that had a membership in many regions and had over 700 ,000 workers who joined the union . Another developed occurred when the American Federation of Labor...