American Labor
- Do ONE of the following:
- Develop a time line of significant history of the
American labor movement from the 1770's to today.
- Prepare an exhibit or a scrapbook illustrating three
major achievements of the American labor movement
- In 500 words or more, write about one of the
founders of organized labor in the United States.
- In 500 words of more, write how the work force fits
into the economic system of the United States.
- Check with some news sources where you live -- public
library, federal, states, county, or municipal
employment office - for information about working people
and their concerns. Discuss your findings with your
counselor.
- Discuss with your counselor how you would lead a
discussion on the subject of worker concerns about job-
related issues. Issues should be related to the
workplace (safety, job assignments, seniority, wages,
child care, etc...)
- With the help of your counselor, prepare an exhibit or
scrapbook illustrating ONE of the following:
- Issues that concern American workers.
- Federal and state labor laws showing how these laws
affect American Workers.
- Current issues you have learned about from a
national union or employee group.
- Visit the office or attend a meeting of a local union,
an AFL-CIO labor council, or an independent employee
organization. Talk with some people there and find out
what the organization does. Draw a diagram of the
organizational structure of the association you visited
from the local to the national level, if applicable.
- Be prepared to define and discuss some of the key terms
used in labor relations.
- With help from your counselor, determine some of the
basic rights and responsibilities that members of
unions, employee organizations, and those not belonging
to a collective association have.
- With help from your counselor, chart a comparison of
wages, benefits, and working conditions in a union shop
and a nonunion shop in the same industry.
- Discuss why it is important to maintain good
relationships among business, labor, and government.
Describe to your counselor what can happen when these
relationships get out of balance.
- Discuss with your counselor the different goals that may
exist with owners of a business, its stockholders, its
customers, its employees, the employees'
representatives, the community, and public officials.
Explain why agreements and compromises are made and how
they affect each group in attaining its goals.