History Analysis

Labor seems to be a topic requiring much attention. Today, Barack Obama lists the topic as one of the most important issues to be dealt, "jobs must be our number-one focus in 2010, and that's why I'm calling for a new jobs bill tonight" (State of the Union Address). In the past labor was a large part of life. The Great Depression was a time in which people’s lives were drastically changed. It was because of the leaders, movements, and laws that were created to help fight the five year labor battle. Franklin D. Roosevelt gave the union hope during the Great Depression. In his first Inaugural Speech he said, “Our greatest primary task is to put people to work”. By FDR making this his primary focus he was able to have the country work together, putting people to go back to work, eventually making the economy more stable. Along with setting a goal, he also supported the country when they needed it the most. For example, FDR would frequently have fireside chats and talk with the country to reassure the nation. In his inaugural speech he stated, “This great nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper”. This shows Roosevelt’s ability to provide hope to a nation in despair. His hopeful outlook allowed for the US to see an ending point to a painful five years. Not only was it Roosevelt’s personality which played a role in helping the country get out of the Depression but it was also ideas such as The New Deal plan which helped get the US back on their feet. The New Deal’s goal was to create the best balance “among all producing segments- agriculture, capital, industry, workers in the industry, the services, and the segment engaged in transportation and distribution, there would be almost no limit to our consuming capacity”. The New Deal allowed people to recognize a goal, and collectively work to get out of the Depression. Another way the nation was able to fix the problems of the Great Depression was by forming labor Unions. Labor Unions were a group of angered workers who fought for their rights in the workplace. During the Great Depression wages were cut, people were laid off, and hours were increased. These conditions became unfair and the laborers became angered; as a result they banned together and created Labor Unions. One of the very first Labor Union formed was the Cannery and Agricultural Workers Industrial Union (CAWIU). This Union acted out against the government and eventually became powerful in creating a change. One of the largest strikes the CAWIU led was the Cotton Strike. This strike was known to be very effective, “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 shows that people recognized times were unfair, but by people fighting a change was created eliminating unfair treatment. Among this large Union group were women. Women in the workplace during the era of the 1900’s were treated much differently than men. The Women’s Suffrage Movement changed this; enabling women to take on roles other than “inn and tavern keepers, laundresses and domestic workers, nursemaids, prostitutes, fish sellers, and merchants, and sometimes even landowners”. This change was established by women creating organized self-help groups. It was known that, “More than sixteen percent of women could be found in the workplace in 1880. By 1900, that figure had increased to twenty-one percent”. This statistics was partly due to the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Along with women, children also faced difficult times in the workplace. Children were forced to go to work and help out their families financially. Because the economy was so poor and jobs were scarce children were forced to work in factories with poor conditions, cheap wages, hard/dangerous work, and long hours. It was known that “One out of every three American factory workers was between the ages of seven and 12. These children often worked 10- and 12-hour days in dangerous and unsanitary conditions”. This statistic shows how popular child labor was during the Great Depression era. It took on a major role in stabilizing the economy but was a horrifying concept. If children worked 11 hours a day their average work week would consist of 77 hours of work. Today, the average work week is 46-48 hours a week. This means, children were working about 30 more hours than people do today. This shows how horrifying and harsh conditions were back then. After recognizing that working such long hours under bad conditions is harmful, amendments and acts such as the Child Labor Amendment, National Industrial Act and Fair Labor Standard Act were established. These acts and amendments allowed children to have the ability to go to school and be a kid. Overall, the workplace is an important evolving topic area within America. It is what keeps our economy stable and allows people to live happily. Unfortunately much of American’s happiness is defined by the amount of money one posses and the only way one earns a consistent flow of money is by working. Furthermore, work is a fact of life that has been around for forever and will continue to stick around. Through the good times and the bad it always seems as if America has managed to hold together and “work” through the tough times.