THE PUBLIC POLICY ANALYST

THE BENEFITS OF LABOR UNIONS AMONG UNITED

STATES WORKERS

AIM: CAN LABOR UNIONS BENEFIT WORKERS?

• Can unions provide the vehicle for change?

• Identifying A Social Problem.

• Can higher wages and benefits affect workers economically, politically and socially?

QUESTIONS (Social Problems)

• Do Non-union workers earn lower wages?• Does union activity aid in understanding

governmental policy?• Does union membership help or hamper a

workers’ ability to access needed health care?

• Are there other benefits to be gained through union membership?

GATHERING EVIDENCE OF THE PROBLEM

• How Do We Obtain Information In Order To Answer Theses Questions?

INFORMATION SOURCES FOR UNIONS AND EMPLOYMENT FACTS

• UFT NY TEACHER

• U.S. Dept. of Labor –statistics bureau

• New York State Dept. of Labor

• AFL-CIO

• National Labor Relations Board

• Journal of Labor Relations

• Labor’s Heritage

• IBEW Journal and Media Relations Dept.

• Eugene V. Debs Home –Museum

• A. Philip Randolph/Pullman Porter Museum Gallery

• http://www.mgbgs.com

ARE THERE REASONS WHY WORKERS WOULD OR WOULD

NOT BELONG TO UNIONS?• Do workers know enough

about unions?

• What are government policies towards union?

• What are company policies toward unions?

• What is the History of unions in this country?

EXISTING PUBLIC POLICIES

• PRO-UNION• Wagner Act,1935 –

National Labor Relations Act

• -right to organize & bargain collectively

• ANTI-UNION• Taft-Hartley Act • - prohibited closed

shop• - abolished checkoff

system

EVALUATING PUBLIC POLICIES

• Advantages of Wagner Act 1935

• 1.________________2.________________3.________________4.________________5.________________6.________________7.________________

• Disadvantages of Wagner Act 1935

• 1.________________2.________________3.________________4.________________5.________________6.________________7.________________

EVALUATING PUBLIC POLICIES II

• Advantages Taft-Hartley Act 1947

• 1.________________2.________________3.________________4.________________5.________________6.________________7.________________

• Disadvantages Taft-Hartley Act 1947

• 1.________________2.________________3.________________4.________________5.________________6.________________7.________________

EVALUATING PUBLIC POLICIES

HOW CAN WE HELP DEVELOP DEVELOP SOLUTIONS TO

THESE POLICIES?• POSSIBLE WAYS.• Write letters to

politicians• Invite unions to speak

on solutions• Campaign for or

against bills• Petition corporations

LARGEST U.S. LABOR ORGANIZATIONS

• 1. International Brotherhood of Teamsters 1,891,000

• 2.National Education Association 1,684,000

• 3. United Automobile Workers 1,357,000

• 4.United Food and Commercial Workers 1,300,000

• 5. United Steel Workers 1,238,000

• 6. Am. Fed. Of State, County,& Municipal Wks. 1,098,000

• 7. International Brotherhood of Electrical Wks 1,041,000

• 8. United Brotherhood of Carpenters 784,000

• 9. International Association of Machinists 754,000

• 10. Service Employees International Union 650,000

SELECT THE BEST SOLUTION OR ANSWER TO

THE TOPIC• THINGS YOU HAVE

DONE IN THIS SEARCH.

• 1. Studied questions about benefits of union membership

• 2. Gathered Evidence• 3. Identified Reasons• 4. Evaluated Policies

• THINGS YOU MUST DO TO ARRIVE AT SOLUTIONS.

• 1. Develop public policy solutions

• 2. Select the best solutions to the issue at hand.

THE PUBLIC POLICY ANALYST