Why were unions in general so incapable of making a lasting impact on policy?
As far as I can tell, it literally seems that business was able to simply sling vast amounts of cash, speaking louder and further than the unions.
Also, does anyone here know much about labor laws in American history? What were they, how did they develop, and where are we now?
For fun, here's links to a 35 minute film circa 1946 by the CIO labor union; interesting watch:
https://archive.org/details/Deadline1946
https://archive.org/details/Deadline1946_2
>>943092
Were they incapable?
I'd say that many standards of modern labour policy, like 40-hour work weeks and safety laws, are a direct result of union pressure.
>>943123
In the 1930s they had some successes but other than that, virtually none.
>>943123
Was that unions or TR?
>>943092
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Canadiense_strike
how were they incapable?
because worker organisation without a workers state is not a means to an end
because they devolved into organised crime syndicates led by actual barons (at least in the UK)
>>945616
Have you seen the United States today?
>>948146
yes
what about it indicates unions have no poewr?
>>948146
United States was always a fucked up country so no wonder your unions too are totally dysfunctional. I mean what kind of morons demand and comply that union employees can't be fired or that you have to belong to a union if you are employed in certain workplaces?
>>948185
the UK?
>>948159
Try
http://www.dickmeister.com/id89.html
Or any of the stories of walmart employees trying to unionize
Or this paragraph from Wikipedia:
"In 2013 there were 14.5 million members in the U.S., compared with 17.7 million in 1983. In 2013, the percentage of workers belonging to a union in the United States (or total labor union "density") was 11.3%, compared to 20.1% in 1983.[1] From a global perspective, the density in 2010 was 11.4% in the U.S., 18.4% in Germany, 27.5% in Canada, and 70% in Finland.[2] Union membership in the private sector has fallen under 7%[3] — levels not seen since 1932."
Many labor rights were won in the 1930's because nobody trusted businesses after 1929, but after WW2 it's been a pretty steady decline in working conditions and labor rights. Unions seem incapable of lasting impact in the political arena
>>948185
A couple unions argued once for something stupid, ergo everything US unions have done is stupid
Makes sense
>>948188
isn't that more because the traditional union demographics of manufacturing, mining, etc have steadily declined since the end of the 60's?
>>948192
Maybe in part, but that's not at all the only reason. For instance, Reagan literally stopped enforcing labor laws, and the trend has continued. Illegal strikebreaking is the norm in America.
>>948185
>>948187
It's illegal in the UK due to EU legislation to force someone to be part of a union.
Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights protects people's freedom of assembly and give people the right to join labour unions, but it's also been interpret to protect a negative freedom of assembly, whereas an employer can't force an employee to join a labour union nor treat someone in a worse because they're not part of a union.
t. HR consultant.
>>948240
Neat-o, too bad the EU is collapsing into neoliberal hell.
>>948394
How does that work?
>>943092
If they were smart the would be capitalists instead of union members
>>948931
*tips fedora*
