Labor relations laws have a long history in America, and they have changed a lot based on the changing political and economic systems used in the nation. Furthermore, the laws have ceased from including only the laborers and the employers to incorporating families, cultures communities, and identities. In America's past, the workers were mainly defined by their races, genders class, and even location. Based on that, it is clear that they received different types of treatment based on their backgrounds and identities. This paper will discuss the history and significance of labor laws in America in the 1900s.
The laborers as individuals and groups were profoundly transformed by the struggles, which occurred during the industrial era. These struggles included the place that the former slaves should take in the community, given their low status in all social aspects such as education, wealth, and even racial consideration (Tomlins, 1993). There were also changes defined by the migrations and immigrations, new business approach, rising of popular culture, and the presence of a federal government that was more active.
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At the onset of the 20th century, Americans used to work for more than 8 hours daily and performing menial jobs that harmed and affected their health. Consequently, many had earlier tried to fight for their rights but to no avail. Averagely they worked for between 54 and 63 hours on a weekly basis, and they were exposed to dangerous working conditions. Consequently, as many as 35,000 people died on an annual basis due to work related injuries. Moreover, there were mass movements to the urban centers in this period, and almost half of the Americans moved to the new locations. Consequently, there were high levels of unemployment and poverty. Still, those who worked had little say in their workplaces, making them enjoy almost zero rights. Besides, the legal system in the country at this time only gave the workers the right to quit and no other right forcing them to remain in their jobs even under hard and unfavorable work conditions. Moreover, the judges often took the employer's side whenever labor-related cases were presented in court. They also offered many injunctions against workers as they organized police forces that dissented on any laborers who protested albeit none violently. The consumer-oriented culture demanded that employees should strain to achieve the middle-class level in the society (Tomlins, 1993). Moreover, there was high work degradation in America as workers were hardly satisfied in their jobs, which were too demanding, and most times not in the areas of their preferences. Americans were also highly divided, a factor that made many strategic business leaders practice welfare capitalism where they provided the workers with benefits with the motive of stifling the dissatisfaction they experienced in their or workplaces.
The American Federation of Labor (AFL), among other unions like Railway Brotherhoods was used by the labor leaders to push for their rights. Notably women and those belonging to racial minorities were excluded, implying that they sought to do things as the old system did as opposed to challenging the system to be more inclusive. However, they managed to increase the membership to 1.6 million by 1904 (Tomlins, 1993). Most of the people in AFL were craft artisans, but it also began to attract skilled industrial workers. However, by this time, the employers were unhappy with the demands made on them by the unions, and they forced workers to sign 'yellow dog contracts' that forced workers to sign agreements that prohibited them from joining the unions. Laborers were also easily replaced any time they would strike or fail to comply with the organizational rules. Employers also made the blunder of categorizing workers as per their origin. Moreover, the National Association of Manufacturers took a drive that stated that workers who belonged to unionized businesses did not have to belong to unions. The above move was geared towards ensuring that they workers failed to join unions as individuals but instead joined as groups. AFL grew by almost a million between 1910 and 1917, but still, laborers felt underrepresented and oppressed.
The Socialist Party was later founded, and it aimed at pushing for measures that are more radical, and it turned out to be a dominant force politically. Further, the garment workers who worked in sweatshops formed extensive affiliations when they moved to the bigger shops. The movement from the small sweatshops to the town centers allowed them to work with other workers in rising against the manufacturers (Tomlins, 1993). In 1909 they garment workers held a strike which was attended by 20, 000 workers in New York and 60000 in 1910. These were closely followed by more strikes in 1911 and by 1920. The Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and the International Women Garment Workers were also formed, leading to more pressure on the employees. Resultantly, the organizations helped the workers attain higher wages and shorter working hours. Additionally, they enjoyed better working conditions in their workplaces than was previously the case. The formation of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) also brought much growth as they worked towards the creation of a large union that paid no respect to gender, race, skills, or even ethnicity. They fought for the abolition of the wage system. In 1916, they joined the local workers in Massachusetts who were striking against long working hours and undesirable working conditions in factories. They also campaigned against the unhealthy environment that surrounded the factories
The formation of all these groups led to the development of labor-related laws, and they were significant in ensuring that the workers were protected from exploitation and abuse in their workplaces. Consequently, the laws formed a basis against which the workers could fight for their rights as opposed to the previous periods when they had no rights.
References
Tomlins, C. L. (1993). Law, labor, and ideology in the early American republic . Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press.
