Labor+Unions+and+Their+Roles


 * This page explores labor unions and their roles in the American economy.**

For more, link to **United States History Labor Unions and Radical Political Parties**

See also Historical Biography pages for
 * ** Mother Jones, Labor Activist and Community Organizer **
 * ** The Lowell Mill Girls **

=**Role of a Union**= To advocate for the interests of its members, including issues like wages, benefits, and safety.


 * Benefits of union membership**
 * Union employees make an average of 30% more than non-union workers.
 * 92% of union workers have job-related health coverage versus 68% of non-union workers.
 * Union workers are more likely to have guaranteed pensions than non-union employees.

**Disadvantages of Union Membership**

 * loss of autonomy
 * Union dues and fees
 * less collaborative work environments
 * higher wages can cause inflation


 * Rise and Fall of Labor Unions in the U. S. from G. Wlliam Domhoff's //Who Rules America?// website**

=I.W.W=
 * **The Industrial Workers of the World, members of which are commonly called Wobblies, is an international labor union that was founded in 1905.**
 * **The union combines general unionism(Unskilled) and industrial unionism(Skilled).**
 * **The philosophy and tactics of the organization are often described as being revolutionary and associated with socialism and anarchism.**
 * **The IWW promotes the idea of "One Big Union," which was a call for an inclusive labor union both in terms of its membership being multiracial and its membership being both unskilled and skilled.**
 * **Notable members of the IWW include Helen Keller, Noam Chomsky, Big Bill Haywood, Eugene Debs, Dorothy Day, Mother Jones, and Tom Morello.**