What would you say to this person about their statement below and what question would you ask?

Union organizations began in this country in the 18th century and looked very different from today’s standards.” The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions was formed in 1881 and the AFL was founded five years later. Their combined organizing force led to the act of Congress that created the Department of Labor (DOL) in 1913 (Sandroff, 2022).” This allowed workers the right to strike to fight for fair treatment. Before WWII, these organizations had quite a few issues. The exclusion of certain races and women was a major point of concern. This type of discrimination would continue until WWII. Secondly, due to the influx of immigrants, races or cultural groups were used against one another in the fight for a better wage. (Sandroff, 2022).

Today’s union organizations can be vital to the overall well-being of a company’s employees and the functionality of its workplace. These organizations use strikes and collective bargaining to spark change and influence legislation that affects our workforce. Unions seek to level the playing field and allow for inclusivity of all races and genders. They support and protect employees by fighting for better wages, benefits, and safety protocols. They also work to lower pay gaps between genders and have the potential to increase engagement amongst staff. In my opinion, having multiple options or avenues for unionization would only work to strengthen such organizations' productivity and overall effectiveness. The higher union density allows for those working in an organization to find the best fit for their current circumstances. As the number of Union groups grows, so does the ability to influence and alter the system in place. The states that have higher union density see an increase in wages. This is an increase of 19% across the board and a 40% increase when compared to low-density states. There is also a decrease in the uninsured and restrictive voting laws. Gender pay gaps are significantly smaller in the states with a higher density as well. There are several great examples of the formation of unions in response to varying viewpoints. (Banerjee et al, 2021). When looking at the comparison of the American Labor Federation and the Change to Win Federation, differences in approach can be seen. “The CTW advocates an “engineered breakthrough” approach to revitalize labor whereas the AFL-CIO relies on a more conservative “accelerated evolution” path (Masters and Zagenczyk, 2006).” I think the creation of other union groups forces those involved to analyze the deficiencies or gaps within the system. Ultimately, it leads to the necessary changes being made and a more effective system for our workforce.

Banerjee, Asha, Poydock, M., & McNicholas, C. (2021). Unions are not only good for workers, they’re good for communities and democracy. Economic Policy Institute.https://www.epi.org/publication/unions-and-well-being/

Masters, M.F., Gibney, R. & Zagenczyk, T. The AFL-CIO v. CTW: The competing visions, strategies, and structures. J Labor Res 27, 473–504 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12122-006-1016-x

Sandroff, Ronni. (2022). The History of Unions in the United States. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0113/the-history-of-unions-in-the-united-states.aspx