Organised labour (labour movement/ trade unions etc) in american!!!?

Question

Y didnt the organised labour/ the labour movement and trade unions in America gained the same strength and glory as they did in Western Europe & Britain to be precise?????

Answer 1

Apart from the organized crime connection unions in America had to deal with successive waves of immigration in the C19th and early C20th which undercut the unions abilities to organize and bargain. Also American industrial relations seem to have been more violent than in Western Europe with both bosses and some unions employing mafia goons to physically attack and intimidate their opponents. In Britain in the General Strike of 1926 some strikers even played soccer with the police - much to Winston Churchill's disgust. He wanted to fight a class war.

As an ex-shop steward I have always had a great sympathy for my American colleagues in the labor movement. Read the real history of the Teamsters specially in the 1930's. It might give you some insight into what American unions faced and still face.

Answer 2

You end your question "to be precise" (followed by five question marks) but it's hard to tell just what you're asking.

Overall the labor movement has lost its influence in America over the past few decades. Among the reasons are (1) disgust with the corruption, selfishness, and shortsightedness of unions, which placed their leaders' power and short term contract gains over the health of companies or the American econonomy, and (2) a shift of the worker base from union-friendly fields like manufacturing to smaller businesses and service sectors that are not readily unionized.

We have unions to thank for many gains made last century for common people in America -- if you have any doubt about how bad it was before unions, go take a read of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. But the Unions did a bad job of educating people, adapting to the changing economy, or capitalizing on their early successes. All we remember them for now is graft, laziness, and anti-capitalist rhetoric.

Answer 3

Labor unions in the US have been labeled as corrupt entities, because of their ties to the mafia. So public perception has been negative. And for good reason.

Labor unions are important in a developing country, they ensure rights and fair wages. But in developed nations they are counter productive, they force wages to an artificial ceiling which pushes business to go to markets with cheaper labor, so they can compete in the global economy.

As long as a country has legislation protecting workers labor unions are not needed. The market itself will help to determine wages.

Answer 4

they were infiltrated by the mafia/CIA and their credability took a nose dive. It has never recovered, the media is owned by big industry leaders and always portrays unionists as lazy and work shy.

Also a lot of legislation was passed which limited the powers the unions have.

Answer 5

i agree with answer 1 and need 2 points

Answer 6

All of my experiences with unions were bad they were all corrupt.