The Labor Movement
The last weekend before the arrival of autumn is a long held that day because we call Labor Day. For many it is a day well deserved for their efforts working for a year. For others it is more than an extra day at the weekend, where they can sleep without worrying about waking up every morning to take the kids to school, or to call friends and do a beach day. What very few take into consideration is the validity of that day and the immeasurable sacrifices of men and women alike to get to the celebration of Labor Day. Likewise, so even fewer people are considered aberrations to justice once we got that even systems that provide benefits to the workers there.
The Industrial Revolution began with the inventions added to the daily work of employees. With these modern era opens in the world. Industrialization brought with it a plethora of benefits to companies due to reduced costs while increasing profits. The machines reduced the number of employees to be paid for labor, and cost was no more than the salary of an employee for a year. In addition, production was increased by the use of machines, which won time for companies to produce their products faster than ten employees if they did together. In an effort to capitalize, entrepreneurs forget the damage caused to the workforce, and the disadvantage that would soon come to cities because of this.
It all looks first in England, “around 1733” (Ansary, 2009), with the first cotton mill. England wanted to keep secret its industrialization, to gain advantage from their competitors. For this reason, after a layoff, forbade their former employees to leave the country, fearing the leakage of information to their opponents in the textile industry. Meanwhile, in America offering a reward to anyone who could build a machine to process cotton in the United States. One man, Samuel Slater, took the offer. He came to New York and proceeded to reconstruct the desired machine as we remembered from his days working as an apprentice in a cotton mill English. And so, with the opening of the first cotton factory hydraulic, and help of the Quaker Moses Brown, Samuel Slater extends the Industrial Revolution in America, and soon the rest of the world.
The Industrial Revolution brought severe consequences for society. Factory owners in need of cheap and unskilled labor, generated large sums to use women and children to operate the machines. At the age of six and many children worked fourteen hours a day, and poverty wages. The early youth of the city was suffering from lesions in the use of dangerous machines, and deaths due to toxic emissions. With the long hours and terrible working conditions, American unions became more prominent and began to shout their demands for a better life.
During 1850 he planted the first seed of the labor movement in Spain. It originates with the establishment of unions, secret societies for the mutual benefit of workers. “The first unions emerged in arsenals and shipyards in Cavite, but not limited to this” (Ansary, 2009). Soon could be found in snuff mills, printing and others. Among the earliest associations were the “Sampaloc Workers Guild, the Guild of Sculptors of the Barrio Santa Cruz, the Carpenters’ Guild and the Guild of Printers and Lithographic” (Ansary, 2009). In January 1872, both workers and soldiers mutinied against the Spanish colonizers in the Cavite arsenal, which ended in the execution of Fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora. The first mass action was taken outside a government printing press in Pampanga, in defense of the abuse and mistreatment of Spanish overseers. These insurgencies said the official start of the protests of the workers.
Ten thousand workers marched from Union Square in New York City in what became known as the first stop on Labor Day in history. Participants took a “day without pay to honor the workers of America, to voice the problems they had with their employers” (Ansary, 2009). Their voices were heard, and through the years more and more workers joined the fight against the injustices of its contractors. “In Asia, Andres Bonifacio established the Katipunan , the core of the first labor and nationalist revolution in Asia “(Ansary, 2009), and Spain Felipe Mendoza and others brought their companions to a second strike on a printing press, this time The Military Herald .
The more riots were agreed to petition the action of entrepreneurs and capitalists became more vicious actions against the workers. It was why, after workers in the “American Railway Union boycotted the Pullman cars of the company, leaving the Chicago area without train traffic that President Grover Cleveland dispatched troops to stop the uprising” (Ansary, 2009). This short battle between civilians and officers became a small slaughter in the souls of the families of many workers. The boycott gave in, but the actions of these brave men who were against the wealthy immunity was not in vain. The United States Congress declared the first Monday in September as Labor Day. But what was a national holiday enough?
It is depressing to think about it, but it was not until 1930 that a number of programs and laws designed to improve working conditions and benefits began to emerge, and it was only when the movement finally won and consolidated political influence. To replenish the chagrin, was not without difficulties. The strength of a union has a bearing on the percentage of workers who are members of the same. Before the National Labor Relations Act (ARLN) accepted in 1935, this weight was less than “ten percent” (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Because of the special privileges provided by the ARLN, became almost a “thirty-five percent” (Bureau of Labor Statistics), but was in decline ever since. This is attributed to that before 1960 the government unionism was almost invisible. But the more governments allowed unionism between that year and 1970, more workers are enlistaban, and “at the end of 2008 nearly fifty percent of workers belong to a union” (Bureau of Labor Statistics), possibly because the recession has increased the number of jobless in the private sector. This may seem beneficial for the worker, however, are we giving significant value to the union, or are we simply buying our benefits?
In any market there is a buyer and a seller. Given the number of buyers competing for the best value for money, the bargaining power of a single seller on the number of additional vendors which purchasers could earn what they want. If there are no vendors in contention, then the first seller has the power to negotiate, and if there are too many sellers lose power. In the labor market, workers are salespeople and employers are the buyers. A union is a group of workers who together try to eliminate competition in the sale of their work. “Its purpose is to take profits and other terms of employment outside of competition, seeking to establish a monopoly price” (Hale, 2008) for the work that sells for employers to pay the price or go without work. Is this justice or are we falling into a trap of the worst capitalist class: the self?
So, here is the downside of unions: the ARLN hits that unions are “necessary to repair a power inequality between the employer and the employee’s power.” This argument continues to be the justification that politicians use to support the concept of marriage. But today, “unions have increased the bargaining power of workers relative to employers, making him lose balance” (Reynolds, 1956), and with this the main reason why our old workers sacrificed their lives.
Regarding the emergence of the labor movement, there is a way of holding the events at the beginning of this occurred, if not the unpleasantness of hard times for a people dismissed by capitalism, death for no reason, and civil injustices . Although the fruits of the labor movement have poured into the workforce benefits, it is important to remember that these benefits have not been without a big price to hundreds of families. Furthermore, with respect to unions, have lost the soul of justice was once infused. Employees act as hunters, eliminating non-unionadas alternative to those seeking employment in companies that offer greater benefits. At the same time, act as a disaster for companies to cut their labor resources. Soon, competitors will not be large companies seeking to acquire employees, if not monopolistic unions, which increasingly seem to be the owners of any decision “fair” in a company.
Literature
- Reynolds, MO (October 1995). Economics l addressed . South Western Publishing. Boston, Massachusetts.
- Ansary, MT (Febrero15, 2009). Labor Day . Heinemann Library. Chicago, IL.
- Contreras Nu�ez-Cortes, P. (May 26, 2009). Equality and reconciliation of personal and work in business and government. Dykinson Publishing Company. Chicago, IL.
- Richberg, DR (January 1, 1957). monopoly labor union: a clear and present . Regner Henry Company. Washington, DC.
- Hale, H. (December 22, 2008). The law of combinations, Monopoli you and unions labor. Kessinger Publishing, LLC. Whitefish, MT.
- Union affiliation of employed wage and salary Workers by selected characteristics. Household Data, Annual Average.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved on January 17, 2010 of ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/lf/aat40.txt