Explain the role of various governmental programs and departments in the labor movement and labor union evolutions.

In anticipation of your organization possibly moving to unionize,
your director has requested that you hold a meeting for all human
resources to provide an overview of the legal evolution of labor unions
within the United States. Your presentation should be structured to
inform and explain the legal foundation of the union movement through
the years. Your director requests that you develop a PowerPoint
presentation in which you present the evolution of labor laws to
coincide with union progress. Support your presentation with at least five (5) scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources may be included.

The
required length of the PowerPoint Presentation option for this
assignment is 12-15 slides (with a separate reference slide). Your
presentation MUST include notes containing 150-200 words per slide (this
is your script). Be sure to include citations for quotations and
paraphrases with references in APA format and style.

Labor Relations Law
During the Industrial Revolution, workers moved from rural areas to
more urbanized centers and work moved from the farms to the factories.
This new work environment required workers to put in long hours, in
often unsafe working conditions for very low wages. There are many
reasons employees initially sought to form unions during the Industrial
Revolution Era, such as improving wages, working hours and working
conditions as well as taking a stance against child labor and for
working immigrant rights. Some of those reasons still exist today, while
others do not. Workers today still seek better working hours and wages,
but also seek other protections such as health and other insurances,
and retirement benefits.
Yet, unions are still very prevalent in our society. The Railroad
Labor Act of 1926 was the first of many legislative enactments that
allowed employees to choose representatives for collective bargaining
purposes. The ensuing years witnessed numerous federal laws that would
advance the cause of labor unions.
Some of the key U.S. labor laws and organizations, which guide labor and management relations include:
The National Mediation Board was established by the
1934 as an amendment to the Railway Labor Act of 1926 and facilitates
the resolution of labor-management disputes in the rail and airline
industries.
The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 is one of the
foundational labor laws in the United States, guaranteeing the right of
private sector employees to organize into trade unions, engage in
collective bargaining for better terms and conditions at work, and take
collective action including strike if necessary. This act also created
the National Labor Relations Board, which is responsible for enforcing
US labor law in relation to collective bargaining and unfair labor
practices.
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) banned oppressive child labor and set the minimum hourly wage at 25 cents, and the maximum workweek at 44 hours.
Founded in 1947, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
(FMCS) is an independent agency of the U.S. government that prevents or
settles disputes between labor unions and management that affect
interstate commerce.
Provided standards with respect to labor organization elections as
well as for the disclosing and reporting financial transactions and
administrative practices of labor organizations.
Created by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA)
is an independent agency of the United States government which
governs labor relations between the federal government and its
employees.
References:
Adler, J. (2006). The past as prologue? A brief history of the labor
movement in the United States. Public Personnel Management, 35(4),
311-329.
Cohen, R. M. (2017). The New Fight for Labor Rights. New Republic, 248(10), 6-8.
Bellace, J. (Sep. 2014). American unions and the economy – the unheard voice of a shrinking sector.
Burton,
K. (Winter, 2015). The perfect storm for labor reform: Past, present,
and possibilities for the National Labor relations Act.
Farber, H. (Oct. 2015). Union organizing decisions in a deteriorating environment.
Gallaway, L. E. (2010, Winter). Unions, the high-wage doctrine, and employment.
Hagedorn,
J., Paras, C. A., Greenwich, H., & Hagopian, A. (2016). The Role of
Labor Unions in Creating Working Conditions That Promote Public Health.

Meyerson, H. (Fall 2014). The seed of a new labor movement.

Assignment Rubric
The following shows the criteria used to grade this Assignment:

Grading Rubric
Criteria

Content (6 points)
Points
1
Develops a presentation that offers information about the legal foundation of labor unions in the United States.
3
2
Explores how these laws form the basis for the labor movement and labor-management relations in the United States.
2
3
Explains the role of various governmental programs and departments in the labor movement and labor union evolutions.
1

Organization (4 points)

1
Content is organized
and presented in a clear manner. Includes a minimum of 12-15 slides and
five scholarly references, with appropriate APA formatting applied to
citations and paraphrasing.
4
Total
10

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