Way back in the day, the American public found themselves in a pickle. Big businesses were running all over them! They were working all hours of the day, in dangerous conditions, for almost NO MONEY! Not, only that, but their kids were working as well! Now, not only did they have to worry about their spouse coming home in a body bag, but the possibility that heir kids could end up the same way? they could NOT take this lying down!
The problem was, that the CEO's of the companies didn't care. Why should they? It wasn't like they couldn't hire more cheap labor right? After all, hundreds of desperate people came pouring off boats everyday. They could just pay them ten cents a week to do that dangerous job if someone left or died. To these big business tycoons, the common man didn't matter. They could be replaced.
The public realized that big business didn't care about them. So, what could they do? Should they just roll over and die? NO! They had to get organized, and petition for their rights as people! And so, the unions of America were born. Thses new unions organized strikes, lobbied for new laws, and showed big business who's boss. And, lo and behold, things actually started getting done. Who knew?
Today, unions are still doing their jobs. They look out for the common laborer, and when something seems unfair, the union steps in to fight for their rights. The number of unions have expanded too, as has the scope of what the can do. There are now teachers unions, construction unions, unions for the police, fire department, and countless others. Now everyone has a voice on how thier company treats them.
Unfortunately, as the numbers and strength of unions increased, so did big businesses ways to get around them. Big businesses called in private police to quash strikes, and subdue workers. They aslo called in replacement workers to keep production up. If that didn't work, they called in the federal government, who snet the army in, guns blazing. This often ended badly for most strikers. Soon enough, though, the age of strikes came to and end, because the system started picking up. Finally.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
wow i'm the first to comment your blog. your blog was wonderful to read. i like your sense of humor. i like how you said the american public found themselves in a pickle. that was so cute and funny. i never heard anyone say that before. but i didn't know big businesses were running all over the people. that was crazy how they had to work all kinds of hours for almost no money. i know they were tired and wore out. but your blog was interesting to read.
The Unions and the Big Businesses need to juuust get along. You ask a lot of questions in this blog. And in the first paragraph you used 'not only' a lot. In the future you should refrain from that. Good job Mizz Coyne.
Good blog. Big bussiness's really suck when seen in this light, it is hard to believe the conditions and wages laborers had to deal with back then. The only thing i can compare something like that to is how I imagine sweat shops to be. low wages long hours, horrible conditions, and ungrateful boss's, not a good life at all.
Interesting blog!
The Big businesses and the Unions really was going through it. A big thing for nothing, when they could have just got along. Immigrants were working like crazy. I can't even imagine how that feels. Hard work and hours for little or basically no money.
Post a Comment