Fighting for any form of freedom is unlikely to hold when only an individual pursues it. The application of the collective bargain proves pivotal to any intension to create changes. The labor category remains one field that has experienced ups and downs for a long period. As a result, they have developed unions to present their grievances to the right authorities. The organizations aimed at ensuring that laborers had strong collective bargain in demanding for favorable changes. Despite the presence of these unions, losses persisted. However, they also realized some gains that were to the interest of their workers. Some of the labor unions that existed in America during such hard moments included American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organization (CIO) among others. Pragmatically, the labor unions have faced gains and losses after the World War II, which makes the discussion of their pros and cons pivotal.
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Many factors influenced the gains that the labor unions realized after the World War II. The first factor that contributed to the labor gains was the industrialization. During such times, the work became mechanized with the only option being the demand for the unskilled labor. As a result, men, women, and young people provided unskilled labor. However, there was the challenge of low-wage rate. Most of the employees earned small amount out of their work. This phenomenon came, as a result, of the abundancy of the laborers in the region, including the immigrants. It was following such low-payments that the workers saw the need for forming labor unions. These organizations aimed at facilitating the collective bargain regarding the labor wages. Therefore, the laborers presented their grievances as a union to ensure that they attained some of their demands. Apparently, the need for wage increment remained one of the reasons that saw the unions gain after the Second World War.
The need for women to have their wage rate increased was also another factor that made the unions gain their demand. During the earlier periods, there was discrimination concerning the labor compensation. The employers paid lower wages to the female workers compared to their male counterparts. This condition proved one of the factors that led to the initiation of the labor unions after the World War II. It appeared unfair treatment to reward men with higher remuneration yet they performed the same tasks as their female colleagues. It was such behavior that made women form unions that could advocate for their rights to equal payments. For instance, in 1968, women saw a change regarding what they had fought for most of their time. During this period, they engaged in a strike that increased to 92% of the male workers. The trade unions changed their perceptions on women and increased their pay. The strike comprised of many women who were victims of the low pay. Their collective bargain rewarded them since they got wage increment. It was during such periods that people saw the significance of the unions. The organizations had made the women to succeed in their pursuit for the pay increase. Therefore, many workers saw collective bargain through unions as the necessary way to demand of their rights.
As a result, of the above union gains, working people experienced several changes. For example, their pay increased following the collective bargain. In many places, unions exist to fight for the rights of their members. Consequently, the unions’ gains after the Second World War ensured that the laborers, especially women, had their pay increased. The gains also ensured that employees secured better-working conditions. In most cases, it important that people get an environment conducive for their service deliveries. When such necessities are missing, it is the role of unions to ensure that the employer puts them in place. Therefore, the unions also advocated for their members to get better working conditions. Finally, a shorter working duration was a contentious issue after the WW II. Many trade unions overworked their employees while giving them no leaf. The unions advocated for a shorter working period that their members attained ultimately. Thus, it remains clear that the unions’ gains impacted their members in diversified ways.
In contrast, many factors contributed to the unions’ losses after the World War II. Various misunderstanding existed among the employees and the unions concerning the interpretation of the labor roles. The business and union viewpoints regarding labor were parallel. The business viewpoint accorded the employers full autonomy to run their enterprises with no interference from the workers. The core of free enterprise holds that “labor is a commodity to be bought and sold at market price.” However, the union viewpoint has a different tale regarding labor and their rights. They argue that labor is a special part of the human experience. As a result, they deserve a say concerning the conditions of their work which they can realize by organizing their self-interest. The difference in interpreting the role and meaning of labor led to the losses of the unions.
Furthermore, the unions faced opposition from the management concerning their duties and roles in an organization. It is clear that the management performs their duties and obligation to suit the employers’ requirement. Therefore, allowing the formation of unions would deprive them the full control of the workers which, eventually leads to the conflict of interest. The main task of the union is to advocate for the rights of its members. As a result, they cannot accept anything they consider unfit for the workers. This observation implies that the union leaders are the ones to accept whether the management decision is right or wrong. The scenario leaves the role of managers to be contingent upon the interpretation of the unions’ decisions. It was on such principles that the business tended to oppose the unions. They also saw these labor organizations threats to individual freedom and economic efficiency. On the other hand, the unions stuck on solidarity as their key principle and aimed at achieving their mission through collective action. Therefore, the contradiction led to the losses that unions experienced after the WWII.
The above causes of the unions’ losses after the Second World War had a series of impacts on their members. For instance, they did not receive their target concerning the wage rate. In most cases, the employer only accepted to share the burden rather that meeting it fully. The outcome meant that the employees could only secure a portion of their demand while losing the other bit. Moreover, the management failed to improve the employees sanitation at their work places to meet their unions’ expectations. In principle, the business operates on the fundamentals of the interaction between the demand and supply curve. Therefore, it means that any decision that the organization makes must meet the optimal demands. The unions did not consider all these factors during their collective bargain. However, the management must respect such strategies while evaluating any pending decision. All these factors made the union workers not to meet their demand fully.
In conclusion, the labor unions’ scenario experienced both positive and negative moves after the WWII. Many factors attributed to their gains and losses after the period. The industrial evolution proved one factor that necessitated the demand for unions since the number of workers increased. On the other hand, the conflicts between the business and union viewpoints facilitated the losses.
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