2011 marks two momentous events in American labor history and of labor unions. I
ID: 1249189 • Letter: 2
Question
2011 marks two momentous events in American labor history and of labor unions. It is the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City described in Baumol and Blinder on page 432. There have been or will be at least two television documentaries devoted to it.The other event is the successful effort in Wisconsin to curb the power of labor unions representing State workers in that State. Similar efforts have been made in other States. In Wisconsin, workers have been forced to give up most rights to bargain over working conditions and wages after an effort by the minority Democrats to block the changes in law by boycotting the session failed. The governor's rationale for this new law is to save money at a time when the State's budget situation is very serious, but union leaders say they already agreed to wage cuts and suggest that the governor is simply trying to break the union.
How, if at all,are the two events related? How are they different? How did the earlier event affect labor unions more generally beyond the immediate factory where the fire occurred? How will the the action in Wisconsin hinder or boost the labor movement in the United States?
Explanation / Answer
the two events are the same in that there is an obvious hindrance on the rights of the workers. in the event of the fire, working conditions and the fact that the building was locked, giving the only advantage to the owners and managers, hindered the rights of the workers. working conditions were horrible and so labor unions were affected in that they protected the interests and rights of the workers. Not only does that include working conditions, but pay rate as well. in the event of Wisconsin's attempt to curb union power, it is hindering the workers the right to voice an opinion and employment is being ripped from underneath them. They are not being given the opportunity to do anything except decide who of their coworkers will be without a job. Rights are being ignored. they are different in that the factory fire improved working conditions and pay for workers, and the effort in Wisconsin is not for the same cause, rather to reduce the rights of the labor unions. the efforts of Wisconsin to reduce power throughout the labor unions, is hindering, in that then there may exist the possibility of abuse of power by owners and companies.
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