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Organized Labor Unions Are Vital to Working Class Americaa

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Organized Labor Unions Are Vital to Working Class Americaa
Organized Labor Unions are Vital to Working Class America
Jacki Barnes
Fred Giacobazzi
ENG 10403
April 27, 2009 Outline

Thesis: Organized labor union members are being pursued as the scapegoat for our country’s economic turmoil when the real culprits are the greedy union leaders, corporate heads, and Washington incompetence.

I. Private sector union membership has been steadily declining.

A. With our nation losing so many jobs in the industrial sector, unions will continue to lose membership.

B. Statistics show that trade union membership has been steadily declining since the 1970’s and due to the recent factory closings, downsizing, and layoffs they have taken a huge hit.

1. The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) is pending legislation that promises a fair and direct path to forming unions.

2. The EFCA will also increase penalties against employers for retaliating against pro-union workers.

II. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has provided the imperative data for collective bargaining.

A. For over a hundred years numerous studies and surveys have been conducted regarding wages for many of the industrial sectors.

B. Without the compilation of wage statistics, we would know far less about the money return for work.

1. The studies have shown that union workers in the same jobs earn more than their non-union counterparts.

2. The advantages to the union wage helps reduce turnover and cut down on efficiency costs.

III. Public sector unions are exceeding in America.

A. The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest and most powerful union in America today.

1. With the implementation of a local area network they have increased access to their information.

2. By creating a professional and functional website they are able to dispense information much quicker.

B. Labor unions need to combine their efforts to cut down on costs.

1. The Service Employees International Union and the California



Cited: Babson, Steve. Working Detroit. 1984. Comp. Irving Bluestone, et al. Ed. Ron Alpern, Dave Elsila, and John Revitte. New York: Adama, 1986. Chavez, Linda, and Daniel Gray. Betrayal. New York: Crown Forum, 2004. Greenhouse, Steven. “Two Unions, Once Bitter Rivals, Will Now Work Together.” New York Times 19 Mar. 2009, New York ed.: A21. The New York Times. 19 Apr. 2009 . Grenkowicz, Judith. E-mail interview. 19 Apr. 2009. King, Neil, Jr., Melanie Trottman, and Jeffrey McCracken. “Chrysler Plan Offers UAW Mixed Blessings.” Wall Street Journal. 27 Apr. 2009 . Maher, Kris, and Ann Zimmerman. “Union Intensifies Efforts to Organize Workers at Wal-Mart.” Wall Street Journal (2009): A4. 19 Apr. 2009 . Markel, Dale. Telephone interview. 1 Apr. 2009. MCConnell, Campbell R., and Stanley L. Brue. “Labor Market Institutions and Issues: Unionism, Discrimination, Immigration.” Economics. 1945. Ed. Douglas Reiner. 17th ed. New York: McGraw, 2008. 658. Miller, George. “Employee Free Choice Act: Labor Vs. Business.” BusinessWeek 27 Apr. 2009. 22 Sept. 2008 . Schmitt, John. Unions and Upward Mobility for Service-Sector Workers. Washington, D.C.: Center for Economic and Policy Research, 2009. 1. - - -. “Will Recession Kill or Renew Labor Unions.” Interview with Matthew Palevsky. The Real News Network. Ed. Paul Jay. Independent World Television. 19 Apr. 2009 . Shostak, Arthur B. CyberUnion: Empowering Labor through Computer Technology. Ed. Daniel J.B. Mitchell. Armonk: M.E. Sharpe, 1999. “Union Membership as a Percentage of the Employed Labor Force, Selected Nations.” Chart. Statistical agencies in individual countries. Economics. 1945. By Campbell R. McConnell and Stanley L. Brue. Ed. Douglas Reiner. 17th ed. New York: McGraw, 2008. 653. United States. Department of Labor. “A Century of Wage Statistics: The BLS Contribution.” Monthly Labor Review. By H. M. Douty. Ed. Michael D. Levi. Vol. 107. Washington D.C., 2009. 27. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nov. 1984. 19 Apr. 2009 . - - -. - - -. Union Members in 2008. 19 Apr. 2009 . Williams, Eesha. “Labor Events Promote EFCA.” Valley Advocate. The Valley Advocate. Ed. Tom Vannah. 15 Apr. 2009. 19 Apr. 2009 .

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