How did US Labour Movement change in the period 1945-60?

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How did US Labour Movement change in the period 1945-60?

This essay examines the changes that took place in the period 1945 to 1960.

Many of these changes were brought about not by the unions themselves but by

external factors. American culture espouses the cult of individuality and the US

labour movement without the socialist or social Democratic background of

europe was more prone to the influence of economics, politics and social opinion.

Economically this essay will show that as industry changed the unions changed

likewise and union membership reflected the changing job market. Politically

the unions with no strong political party affiliations [unlike British trade unions and

Labour party] were at the mercy of public opinion and bandwagon politics as will

be seen with the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947. Finally this essay will examine the

increasing role of women and ethnic minorities in trade union membership and

argues that their increased influence was in spite of and not because of trade

union practices.

The American Federation of Labour founded by skilled craftsmen in1886 emerged as the

only permanent national focus for the political struggle of the American worker. The AFL

scorned wider goals and concentrated exclusively on wages, hours and conditions.

Ethnic diversity, race, the large agricultural sector, the western frontier, better

Opportunities, greater equality, a higher standard of living all inhibited the growth of

class consciousness and the rise of labour unions. American unions consisted mainly

of wage-earning, manual workers, skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled, usually hourly

paid and lacking much in job security. Such unions were based in industries such as mining,

iron and steel, lumber trade, manufacturing, transport and construction. Part of the

working class was white-collared, part uniformed like railwaymen. [Renshaw, 1991,

pp1-2]

The AFL had been in existence for fifty years to protect craftsmen. It regarded semi-

Skilled and unskilled workers in mass production as inferior, unorganised and a

danger because they could undercut wages and break strikes. Lewis and Hillman,

industrial union activists, proposed to cut clean across AFL jurisdiction by launching
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the Committee of Industrial Organisations [CIO] and organising all workers in each

industry into one union. At a time of falling craft union membership the CIO proposed

industrial unions were a further threat to AFL strength. Industrial unions aimed at

everyone, regardless of ethnic origin or gender, blacks and women. [Renshaw, 1991, p23]

Wartime strikes, undemocratic union practices, mounting anti-Communist hysteria,

racial discrimination and jurisdictional strikes all caused mounting criticism of unions.

In 1947 perceived union indifference to public reaction helped to create a climate of

opinion which made ...

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