Californian Labor History

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how the state of California has given rise to some of the most significant changes in American labor relations. It analyzes how throughout its history, the state has been able to provide jobs in various sectors of the economy, from agriculture to aerospace and how currently, California unions represent workers in every industry, including education, entertainment, construction, health care, petroleum refinery, clothing and transportation. It provides a few examples from California's recent history that bear witness to the power and significance of labor unions in the state. It shows how California unions help workers achieve basic human needs such as reasonable wages in tune with the national economy, healthy workplace environments and a balance of power between management and employees. Without labor unions, skilled and unskilled workers in California would be grossly underrepresented in government and politics, as unions exert powerful influence on state and local public policy.

From the Paper:

"California labor unions benefited immensely from the Franklin Delano Roosevelt presidential administration. In part because of an influx of farm workers into the state from the "dust bowl" of the Great Plains, organized labor in California became increasingly important to secure rights. The National Recovery Act (NRA), and the Wagner Act, passed following the Great Depression, helped correct the injustices of California-based businesses. These new laws affected the booming oil industry in southern California, as well as the farming industry. The formation of both the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) affected California laborers because of the amount of skilled and unskilled workers in the state and due to the state's plethora of industries."

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