Labor unions began to pose a threat to big businesses as far back as 1869. The Knights of Labor was the first 'big union'. Its membership was not restricted by skill or craft. With the rise of the American Federation followed by the Congress of Industrial Organizations and F.D.R.'s New Deal for Labor, several major reforms were legislated into law in order to achieve a balance of power between labor and management.
1. The Wagner Act 1935- gave unions the right of collective bargaining, and defined unfair labor practices. under this legislation Congress created the National Labor Relations Board to act as a 'watchdog' regarding labor-management relations.
2. The Fair Labor Standars Act 1938- created a national minimum wage and guaranteed overtime for workers who worked more than 40 hours a week.
3. Several 'child labor protection' laws helped to stop the exploitation of children, as well as help to establish a push towards mandatory education laws for children in the major urban areas at the beginning of the 20th century.
The basic aims of unions today are largely rooted in the protection of wages,job security, health benefits, and retirement packages. Although labor unions in the United States are not void of corruption and abuses, the favorable Congressional legislation towards union organization during the 1930's helped to establish a 'relationship' between the two opposing forces.
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