Decline in union membership in the U.S Research Paper

Decline in union membership in the U.S - Research Paper ExampleThe pattern is irreversible, and it is unlikely that unions, as they exist, can survive the gathering stinting storms. A History of Confrontation and Concession The history of labor unions in the United States can be traced as far back as 1765 and the Daughters of Liberty, a womens administrational stem who, through their making of cloth and other goods at home, supported the Revolutionary War movement. The first manly trade unions formed in the late 18th century, and women workers began organizing in earnest in the 1820s. In general, and tally to most trade union historians, the movement as a national power evolved after the well-bred War with the National drudge Union (NLU) as the first federation of local groups, followed by its successors, the Knights of tote and the American Federation of Labor (AFL), still powerful and active today. An offshoot, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW, or the Wobblies) came to creation in the early twentieth century, often using violence to promote the cause of unskilled workers (History of U.S. Labor Unions, 2010, par 3). ... (AFL-CIO), which according to its official site now boasts 12.2 million members-- teachers and miners, firefighters and farm workers, bakers and engineers, pilots and public employees, doctors and nurses, painters and plumbers (AFL-CIO, 2011, About Us, par. 2). some other groups over time lay down become part of the matrix, including public sector employees in hospitals, postal workers, municipal workers police and fireman. Counterbalancing unions in existence in the public sector, union membership today in the clannish sector has fallen under 8%--levels not seen since 1932 (History of U.S. Labor Unions, 2010, par. 5) due to lack of interest, illegal workers and doubtlessly workers who are fearful of loosing jobs in a progressively diminishing job market. Outsourcing as a lend issue can not be discounted. As Dubofsky and Dull es (2004) found, the forces of economic liberalization, capital mobility, and globalization have affected measurably the material standard of living enjoyed by workers in the United States (p. ix). Pros and Cons of Unions and Union rank Since the Industrial Revolution, unions havebeen credited with securing improvements in working conditions and wages. Beyond the obvious, in any discussion of unions hotshot of the first points raised is exactly this what are the benefits of unions and how do they represent the interests of the working person? Views are more often than not diverse, depending upon particular experiences and who is making the judgment. For instance, employers who wish more mobility in making economic decisions for their company or organization may find the demands of collective bargaining more than they can absorb, or, more than they are willing to absorb. On the other hand, a good collective bargainer can often come to