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Unions

    Unions Editor's Picks

    • The Pros & Cons of Labor Unions

      As a result of the rapid industrial development in the 19th century, many employers made successful ventures in which their workers were exploited. Uneducated country folk migrated en masse to city factories in search of work and ended up in substandard environments, often for low wages. Labor unions began in the United Kingdom as a... more »

    • Recommendations for Restoring Labor Unions

      After a century of progress in protecting and defining worker's rights, labor unions began to decline in the 1980s. Labor unions were directly responsible for the definition of the eight-hour work day, the five-day work week,and many other commonly held views of workers' rights. With the decline of the labor union, a number of people... more »

    • How Does a Pre-Nuptial Agreement Work?

      In the first blush of love, no one thinks about legal agreements, but prenuptial agreements are actually as old as marriage itself. Once a contract between families in arranged marriage, enforced by tribal custom, marital agreements have always established ground rules designed to protect the interests of both parties (or families)... more »

    • How Does an Electrician Spend a Workday?

      Electricians are involved in all aspects of getting electricity from electrical lines into homes, offices, plants, construction sites and anywhere that light and power are needed. A workday may begin with surveying the job site, reading building plans, studying current electrical configurations and putting together the supplies and... more »

    • Electrician Jobs

      Electricians are skilled tradesmen who are trained to install and maintain electrical wiring systems and related components in homes and businesses. While most electricians are trained in both areas, many choose to specialize in either installation or maintenance of electrical systems. While some electricians work in manufacturing... more »

    Unions Quick Guides

    • Annuling Your Marriage

      Sometimes, it is evident from the very start of a marriage that the whole thing was a mistake....

    • About Labor Laws

      Why is there minimum wage? Why is your boss required to pay when you're hurt at work? Why...

    • Actuary Basics

      The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics projected in 2006 that the employment of...

    • Human Resource Jobs

      Every good company also employs a good human resources department. These people are in charge of...

    Unions Articles

    Wikipedia

    Trade union

    A trade union (or labor union) is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas, such as working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members (rank and file members) and negotiates labor contracts (Collective bargaining) with employers. This may include the negotiation of wages, work rules, complaint procedures, rules governing hiring, firing and promotion of workers, benefits, workplace safety and policies. The agreements negotiated by the union leaders are binding on the rank and file members and the employer and in some cases on other non-member workers.

    Labor unions became popular in the United States during the Industrial Revolution, when the lack of skill necessary to perform the jobs shifted employment bargaining power almost completely to the employers side, causing many workers to be mistreated and underpaid. This gave rise to the concepts of Marxism and Communism.

    Trade union organizations may be comprised of individual workers, professionals, past workers, or the unemployed. The most common, but by no means only, purpose of these organizations is "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment"."webb"> ch. I

    Over the last three hundred years, many trade unions have developed into a number of forms, influenced by differing political and economic regimes. The immediate objectives and activities of trade unions vary, but may include:
    * Provision of benefits to members: Early trade unions, like Friendly Societies, often provided a range of benefits to insure members against unemployment, ill health, old age and funeral expenses. In many developed countries, these functions have been assumed by the state; however, the provision of professional training, legal advice and representation for members is still an important benefit of trade union membership.
    * Collective bargaining: Where trade unions are able to operate read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade+union

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