An analysis of the history of the American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) union federation and the implications of the split within it.
Abstract This paper discusses the current split within the American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) union federation. It describes the history of the separate organizations and the history of their merger. It then discusses the changes that have occurred since the AFL-CIO merger. It also looks at the implications of the split within the merged organization and its implications.
Table of Contents:
Executive Summary
History
A Changing Workplace
The Split
Conclusion
From the Paper "Acuff says the working relationship with the disaffiliated unions is difficult, but the AFL-CIO's goal is still to someday return those unions to the AFL-CIO fold. There's no question that labor must change to attract workers. But perhaps unions may have a chance for resurgence with the current undercutting of the middle class that is prevalent in the United States today. However, in order for that to be the case, unions must make their commitment to the worker their major priority. While politics is important (politics influences public policy), it cannot be first and center. The worker must perceive there is a benefit to union membership, and that benefit is to work to protect the individual workers rights."
Abstract This paper examines the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the largest association of organized labor in the United States. The paper looks at the key issues of the organization, such as its attempt to influence politics, its position on Iraq, its focus on civil rights, its stance on immigration and its role as an umbrella organization. The paper discusses the organization's methods to achieve its goals and notes the challenges it faces in the future.
From the Paper "The American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is the largest association of organized labor in the United States, representing roughly 13 million of the country's estimated 16.4 million union members. It is an umbrella organization, consisting of 86 different national and international unions, and has members employed in virtually every field (Ness, 2002, p. 359). With its mission to "unify the diverse interests of organized labor into a single voice," the AFL-CIO coordinates its national program on a state and local level through state and regional branches of the organization. They have 50 state federations of labor and more than 600 central labor councils. These organizations formulate national policy and coordinate state and regional activities (Ness, 2002, p. 361). The union itself is headed by the President and the Executive Council."
Abstract The paper discusses how the AFL-CIO, the nation's most famous union, continues to act as an advocate for workers in areas of topical concern, such as expanding healthcare to all Americans. The paper also discusses how the union is fighting against gender and racial discrimination inflicted upon workers all over the world. The paper explains that wage discrimination embraces everything from fair pay issues, to harassment and discrimination in the workplace, as well as traditional union issues like family leave and benefits.
From the Paper "At a time when American organized labor unions are declining in their political and cultural influence, the AFL-CIO, the nation's most famous union, continues to act as an advocate for workers in areas of topical concern, such as expanding healthcare to all Americans, and fighting against gender and racial discrimination inflicted upon workers all over the world.
"Although the union has in the past won comprehensive health care coverage for many of its members during individual negotiations, in tribute to its philosophy to stand proud for all workers' rights, the union is currently actively lobbying the U.S. congress for national health care coverage for all Americans. The AFL-CIO website contains a link to a petition that everyone surfing the website can sign, union members and non-members alike."
Abstract The paper explains why so many CIOs fail in aligning their strategic IT plans to business objectives. The paper looks at how the entire process of creating, editing and finally seeking feedback and execution of the IT plan requires a set of skills the CIO doesn't typically use. The paper discusses the use of transformational leadership and transactional leadership. The paper concludes that implementing a successful strategic IT plan depends on the CIO creating successfully functioning cross-functional teams, using effective transformational leadership strategies and infusing a sense of ownership into the plan across departments.
Outline:
Executive Summary
A CIOs' Emotional Intelligence and Cross-functional Team Performance
Summary
From the Paper "The role of cross-functional teams is primarily to intensely focus resources, processes, and people for the completion and project schedule for a strategic IT plan. The logic of cross-functional teams is that the varied members of the team, each from a different functional area or in larger organizations, specific disciplines including engineering, marketing, manufacturing, operations, and service can be more effective in accomplishing the many synchronized and often complex tasks in developing a strategic IT plan that supports their specific business goals and objectives."
Tags: transformational, transactional, leadership, cross-functional, teams
Abstract The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), a federation of autonomous labor unions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, and U.S. dependencies, was formed in 1955 by the merger of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). This paper traces the history of the AFL-CIO, including the events that led up to the 1955 merger. It also discusses the organization's political leanings, operations, and presidents.
From the Paper "From the start of Kirkland's term, the AFL-CIO was forced to adapt to a number of adverse economic trends. Union membership dropped from 33% of all U.S. workers in 1960 to 14% in the late 1990s. To shore up organized labor's declining influence, the AFL-CIO concentrated on organizing service workers and public employees and improving labor unity. In 1981 the UAW rejoined the union; the Teamsters (1988) and United Mine Workers (1989) later followed."
Abstract The book "Not Your Father's Union Movement", edited by Jo-Ann Mort, is comprised of eighteen articles covering many of the central issues in the changing world of union activism. The paper shows that the main argument of the book is that the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) has undergone complete reorganization to meet the needs of working families in a changing economy and also to rebuild the critical link in fighting for worker's rights in a progressive and egalitarian America.
From the Paper "The emphasis of the Bensinger article and many of the others in this book is on the argument that effective organization is the key to the re-emergence of the union as a powerful social, economic, and political force in society on behalf of those whom the corporations would exploit, if not intimidate and discourage into silence. Organization is the key to union success because it mobilizes workers and brings them together in a cooperative atmosphere which results in effective action (such as the HERE "sip-in" and marches), which, in turn, solidifies members' determination to fight for better pay and working conditions. In addition, success breeds more success, which convinces workers to see the fight through to little victory upon little victory at the local level, and this leads to bigger victories at the national level."
Abstract Recent reports highlight how the gender gap in wages affects women's retirement as well. According to a report from the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER), older women are twice as likely as men to be poor after retiring. Compared to their male counterparts, older women have to make do with less Social Security benefits, fewer and smaller pensions and less individual savings. This paper examines the growing fiscal health problem many women face upon retirement. Instead of having a nest egg to live upon, many women face the real possibility of poverty, even after retiring from a lifetime of hard work.
The first part of the paper presents a general picture of the fiscal resources available to and problems faced by women upon their retirement. In addition to this general picture, the paper pays special attention to the problems faced by minorities like Hispanic and African-American women. The next part of the paper looks at the factors behind these problems, such as divorce, widowhood and women's care- giving duties. The main factor behind many women's inability to save for retirement, however, remains the gender gap that continues to plague much of the working world. The third part of the paper thus explores the effects of gender on the pay scales of men and women across disparate fields, from academia to management to blue-collar operations. It also looks at how these unequal pay scales continue, despite legislation that mandates equity in pay. The fourth part of the paper examines the link between the gender gap in wages to the phenomenon of women's poverty upon retirement. It shows how pay inequity means that women work more, earn less and as a result, often have less money for their retirement. Finally, the paper looks at the steps women can take to address these issues and prepare for their retirement.
From the Paper "In a study of wage differentials across the service professions, Margaret Gibelman found that the median salary for both sexes is higher in service occupations that are predominantly male, such as construction and surveying. Conversely, the mean wages for both sexes is significantly lower in occupations where women comprise more than 75 percent of the workforce, such as nursing and receptionists (Gibelman). Gibelman's study implies that women suffer from two forms of discrimination in the service and sales industries. First is discrimination on an individual level, where women get paid less than their male counterparts for the same work. Second, there is a marked discrimination against occupations that have a large female employee base and could therefore be labeled as ?women's occupations.? It is difficult to make comparisons between occupations like cashiers, 90 percent of whom are women, and janitors, 70 percent of whom are men. However, the fact remains that even male-dominated professions that utilize unskilled labor generally still command higher median incomes."
Abstract For nearly 100 years, the system of Worker's Compensation has been used in the United States. This is a legislated system, administered at the state level. This paper looks at the history of worker's compensation in the United States, showing how it has evolved into an effective system that protects the employee should he/she become injured or incapacitated during work hours. The paper discusses who exactly is considered an employee and different types of benefits. The paper focuses, in particular on the rehabilitation benefits (Vocational Rehabilitation Plan). It also looks as the role of labor unions and worker's compensation fraud.
From the Paper "The legislature of each State determines the type and amount of benefits which are payable under workers' compensation. Generally speaking, workers' compensation payments are not taxable to the employee as income. Based upon the laws enacted in each State, insurance companies that provide worker's compensation insurance coverage determine the probabilities of injury for different occupational categories and establish their premium rates. This is the amount charged to employers for their workers' compensation insurance. (Pennsylvania)."
Abstract This seven-page undergraduate research paper discusses the career of American labor leader and AFL-CIO president George Meany, and evaluates what factors accounted for Meany's success and failures as a labor leader.
Abstract The new leadership in the AFL-CIO is committed to putting the "movement" back into the ?labor movement,? and there is now an opportunity for reflection on the role and strategy of organized labor in our society. This paper questions whether unions really matter anymore, and if they do, what their mission should be. Specifically, it asks whether there is a need to build a movement simply to represent our own members, or whether this movement have a wider role in society as a whole. Does the fate of the labor movement and workers? rights in the workplace concern more than the ranks of organized labor?
From the Paper "For too long, there has been an irrational and self-defeating division of duties among progressives in the US Union workplaces, while other groups - the so-called social movements and identity groups - organize in the community. Even the term "labor movement" has been reduced to mean simply trade unions, which are supposed to focus on narrowly defined bread-and-butter workplace issues - wages and benefits. This topical and organizational division of turf misleadingly implies that there is an easy division between workplace issues and other social struggles. Furthermore, it suggests that wages and benefits are somehow unifying and other social issues are divisive (Blanton 2003). These separate spheres of influence have resulted in the sad fact that US progressives have often marched in solidarity with labor movements and workers around the world, but often fail to consider the working majority here at home."
Abstract This paper defines labor unions as associations composed of workers, which work within the same trade to advance the interest of members such as collective bargaining to improve wages, benefits and working conditions. The author points out that both European and American labor unions were created during the process of industrialization and came to prominence after World War II. The paper relates that that, in both regions, labor unions resulted in increases in economic stability and improvements in workers' rights.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Labor Union
Europe
American Labor Unions
How Unions Affect Society and the Working Environment in Each Region
Conclusion
From the Paper "Like labor unions in Europe, American labor unions were also formed during industrialization. American labor unions have had an impact upon the economy and politics since their inception and they continue to play a large role in the American labor force. These unions encompass a large range of laborers, from restaurant workers to steel workers. American labor unions are extremely organized and are overseen by the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)."
Abstract This paper explains the legacy of Jimmy Hoffa as a labor union organizer in the 1930's and relates his rise to power as President of the Teamsters Union.
From the Paper "Jimmy Hoffa was the leader of the largest union in the United States, the 'International Brotherhood of Teamsters.' He was fervent, some might even say fanatical, in his support of the Teamsters. He often faced conflicts with law enforcement and union leadership. Many speculate that his dealings with organized crime leaders resulted in his disappearance or murder."
Tags: Jimmy Hoffa, union organizer, Teamsters, AFL-CIO, Mafia connections, death, prison, sentencing, goals, focus, long haul trucking, violence
Abstract This paper provides a brief overview of the history and purpose of labor unions in America. In particular, it looks at the Association of Flight Attendants AFL-CIO which is a sector of the Communications Workers of America CWA. It looks at how ,over the course of the last few years, the union has gone through some major changes in strategy and structure as a result of the events of September 11, 2001 and then discusses these changes.
Outline:
Craft Division
Pairing the Crews
From the Paper "Some participants in and observers of the U.S. labor movement have viewed unions as institutions with the potential to establish industrial democracy and socialism. Others have viewed unions as highly conservative institutions returning to workers the status lost in the transition from village societies to urban anonymity. In reality, their role has been more modest. In the early 1980's they enrolled in their ranks only one of five members of the labor force, down from one of four in the 1950's and 1960's. These workers had a somewhat greater say in their work lives and in the halls of Congress and state legislatures. They received somewhat greater pay and were more productive. They sometimes followed the political calls of their leaders and sometimes did not."
Abstract This paper examines the accomplishments and contributions of unions have made toward improving the conditions of workers. In particular, it examines how the lifestyles of workers have changed financially and socially. The paper also considers why a worker would want to join a union, with simple how-to instructions taken from a website. The paper ends with an exploration of why union membership has dropped over the past few decades and how unions are trying to regain their prominence.
From the Paper "Unions have been around for many years, and working conditions in developed, as well as developing countries have been vastly improved due to union activism and vigilance. Some unions have been able to provide many in society with a sense of security that they might not have ever been able to enjoy without the union's strength and cohesiveness supporting them."
Abstract The paper discusses how workers are in a weak position today. The paper explains that they are facing job losses and pay and benefits cuts and their lobbying power is weakening. The paper maintains that by creating a worker-rights group that is open to all American workers, regardless of union affiliation, workers can create an inclusive organization with the financial resources to advance a pro-worker agenda.
Outline:
Structuring the Organization
Legislative Program
Conclusion
From the Paper "Much of the 20th century was defined by the worker movement, with Americans joining labor unions and other organizations in droves to achieve safer working conditions, better benefits, more equitable pay for women and people of color, and several other victories. However, the first years of the 21st century have, in many ways, not been the era of the worker. Union membership is down to just 12 percent of the working population, and the AFL-CIO has suffered infighting and a schism as labor leaders struggle to fix the besieged union movement (Union members)."
