Unionism in the United States

Union Overview

Unions of yesteryear are not what they are in modern society. In fact there are those that have stated that the unions of today are "committing suicide" (Hassett, 1998). The organized labor moment in its prime commanded considerable attention and weight. Unions of old worked diligently to protect members from appalling and unsafe working conditions, many of which included 12-hour work days in hot and hazardous conditions.

In modern times the presence of unionization at least within the private sector has declined drastically. Economists suggest that this is because the strict working rules under which unions operate and the higher wages demanded often put an unmanageable burden on privatized firms, where labor costs are generally a high percentage of overall costs (Hasset, 1998). Unionization in a traditional American firm might increase labor costs "by as much as 15%" thus reducing profit margins substantially...
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