The Great Depression tested how strong people were. The decreasing wages, long hours, and terrible work conditions made the laborers angry. As a result, the workers banned together and created Unions to fight back and earn better conditions. One of the first Unions formed was The Cannery and Agricultural Workers Industrial Union (CAWIU). The Unions were needed to increase the wages and help the workers to earn fair working conditions. Without the striking from the Unions the wages and conditions would continue to worsen. For example, "decrease wages from $3.50 to $1.90 per day between 1929 and 1933". The Labor Unions also worked to go against the bad conditions. For example, it was known that laborers worked "16-hour days for 15 cents per hour". This is unheard of, especially considering what type of hours are worked now. The twentieth century's average work week is about 46 hours per week, whereas nineteenth century workers were accustomed to working more than 80 hours a week. Working 80 hours a week for little pay is unheard of. As the workers acted out and fought against they slowly began to gain back some working rights. One example of a Union success story occurred when there was a “cotton strike”, “Most significant strike of 1933 occurred in Corcoran in the San Joaquin Valley, where wages for picking cotton had fallen by 60%, from one dollar to forty cents per one hundred pounds picked…the CAWIU succeeded in increasing wages to seventy-five cents per one hundred pounds picked and gained recognition for the union”. This goes to show how banning together and creating a forceful group can create a positive change. The Unions were a beneficial factor and important part of the laborers life because workers were able to gain back employment rights.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Labor Strike
The Great Depression tested how strong people were. The decreasing wages, long hours, and terrible work conditions made the laborers angry. As a result, the workers banned together and created Unions to fight back and earn better conditions. One of the first Unions formed was The Cannery and Agricultural Workers Industrial Union (CAWIU). The Unions were needed to increase the wages and help the workers to earn fair working conditions. Without the striking from the Unions the wages and conditions would continue to worsen. For example, "decrease wages from $3.50 to $1.90 per day between 1929 and 1933". The Labor Unions also worked to go against the bad conditions. For example, it was known that laborers worked "16-hour days for 15 cents per hour". This is unheard of, especially considering what type of hours are worked now. The twentieth century's average work week is about 46 hours per week, whereas nineteenth century workers were accustomed to working more than 80 hours a week. Working 80 hours a week for little pay is unheard of. As the workers acted out and fought against they slowly began to gain back some working rights. One example of a Union success story occurred when there was a “cotton strike”, “Most significant strike of 1933 occurred in Corcoran in the San Joaquin Valley, where wages for picking cotton had fallen by 60%, from one dollar to forty cents per one hundred pounds picked…the CAWIU succeeded in increasing wages to seventy-five cents per one hundred pounds picked and gained recognition for the union”. This goes to show how banning together and creating a forceful group can create a positive change. The Unions were a beneficial factor and important part of the laborers life because workers were able to gain back employment rights.
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Good article, I liked the picture it gave a good visual as to how people were treated and what the conditions were like. Its obvious that unions were affective against unfair labor, but did it always work? If not, what was done?
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