SOC391 Mini Exam 2

what US workplace protections can be attributed to labor unions?

1. 8-hour workday

2. overtime

3. minimum wage

4. child labor laws

5. OSHA

6. anti discrimination policies

labor union

an organization representing workers in dealing with management over work disputes

group of people working together to improve their work lives

done through collective bargaining

collective bargaining

the process of working people negotiating working contracts with management through unions

creates union contract

the drive system (industrial revolution period)

method of management used by a foreman (factory big boss) to maintain/increase worker effort

done by putting pressure on workers to give a large output

what were some of the characteristics of the drive system?

• harsh management style

• fear of unemployment used against workers

• informal rules that regulated work behavior and were arbitrarily enforced

what were the potential consequences of the drive system?

• secretive wages; ain’t no one can talk about how much they earn w others

• recruitment through bribery, nepotism, and racial exclusion

• weak employment security

Frederick Taylor (1856-1915)

the mechanical engineer that fucked up work for us by creating scientific management

was an apprentice machinist who worked his way up to become a chief engineer

what was the reason Frederick Taylor created scientific management?

he suspected that workers weren’t operating at their fullest productivity

• wanted to optimize how each work task was done

studied the relationship between people and tasks for the goal of improving efficiency and profit

scientific management

method of improving efficiency in the workforce by using scientific methods to assess worker progress

Taylorism is a type of scientific management that focused on reducing work process time

what are the 4 principles of scientific management according to Taylor?

1. study each task and develop a standard method

2. select workers for the job and train them

3. have managers and workers cooperate in following the method

4. management takes more responsibility for planning the work

how was the work labor process different before and after Taylor?

before, worker skill and judgement shaped the method and pace of labor

after, there was a bigger emphasis on management that studies, defines, and monitors methods

Taylor noticed that workers who soldiered in the steel industry were purposefully not operating at their full capacity. Why weren’t they?

• workers believed that if they got more productive their job would be eliminated

• wage systems weren’t designed for incentives

• experience-based training methods were inefficient

what are the main functions of a local union?

• collective bargaining

• worker relations/membership services

• community/political activities

shop steward

an elected union official who represents union members and communicates ith management when workers have complains

federation

collection of unions that band together for further organizing ands shit

what are some of the common arguments for unionization?

• increased job security

• increased benefits/higher pay/better working conditions

• more influence in the decision-making process

• more job satisfaction

what are some of the common arguments against unionization?

• employees can go directly to management with problems

• companies that are already OSHA compliant

• it’s better to have pay tied with performance/productivity rather than union representation

union shop

a union security arrangement where nonunion members can be hired by a firm but they MUST join the union within 30-60 days

agency shop

a union security arrangement where people aren’t forced to join the union but they do have to pay union fees to cover the union representing them

open shop

a union security arrangement where workers do not have to join a union or pay dues

foreman

like the chief working person somewhere

what are some of the key labor union events discussed in class?

• the Lowell Mill Women’s strike

• Atlanta Washerwomen’s Strike

• Railroad strike

Lowell Mill Women’s Strike (1830s)

lowk the first strike and it preceded labor organizing

women were asking for working day to be reduced from 13 to 10 hours

Atlanta Washerwomen’s Strike (1881)

many formerly enslaved people were doing washing which was difficult and low pay

workers organized and asked for higher pay and a uniform rate

was successful despite arrests and fines

Railroad Strike (1877)

some big panic was happening and the workers organized to ask for improved working conditions

the result was coverage for accidents during work, pension plans for retirement, and death benefits

what are the current trends of union affilitation by race/gender?

basically all union members get higher pay while nonunion people dont

only Asians get paid more if they aren’t in a union which is weird

what are the 3 economic sectors that we track change in?

primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors

primary sector

industries that extract raw materials

includes pre-industrial societies

secondary sector

sector dominated by manufacturing

includes industrializing societies

tertiary sector

dominated by service industries and distribute/sell goods made in the secondary sector

what does Clark’s Sector Model tell us about economic sectors?

during industrialization, the primary industry had the most amount of employees

during de-industrialization, the amount of people working in the tertiary sector crossed over the primary sector and has been steadily increasing

the max amount of people that worked in the secondary sector was around the 1940s

The Age of Security (1950s-1960s)

characterized by industry expansion post ww2

• lots of jobs that were secure

Equal Pay Act and the Civil Rights Act also got passed during this time

internal labor markets

workers are hired to entry level jobs and higher-level jobs are filled by workers within the company

• structured promotion criteria

• long time job security and lifetime employment

happened due to growth in firm sizes during the age of security

Age of Flexibility (1975 - ?)

union strength started declining and government stuff made unionizing harder

led to:

• declining attachment to employers

• increased long-term unemployment

• growth in perceived job insecurity

precarious work

uncertain employment that’s unpredictable and risky for workers

rose during the Age of Flexibility

National Labor Relations Act (1935)

allowed private sector (people who own big companies and don’t work for the gov) employees to organize into labor unions

established the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

independent federal agency

• safeguards employee’s rights to organize

• remedy unfair labor practices

governed by a 5-person Board and a General Counsel, both of whom are appointed by the president

• so depending on the president and what they value the NLRB can roll back or expand worker protections

how are unions established under the NLRB?

either:

• 30% of workers sign a petition and then the NLRB votes for the union to be made

• employers can recognize a union if they see their workers want one

what did the Fair Labor Standards Act (1938) do?

• establish federal min wage

• set overtime pay after 40 hrs

• set standards for tipped employees and youth minimum wage

• child labor regulations

• requires employers to keep records

what did the Fair Labor Standards Act (1938) NOT do?

• require sick pay/holiday/severance pay

• meal or rest periods

• notice of an employee being fired and giving them their last paycheck

• limit the number of hours an employee may be required to work

Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) (1970)

regulates workplace safety (exposure to toxins, noise, dangers, extreme weather, etc.)

Family and Medical Leave Act (1993)

created the right to 12 weeks of unpaid leave under certain conditions (sick family members, child birth, etc.)

is gross pay more effective than hourly pay?

no; workers who get paid gross pay assume a lot of risks

what are the 4 ways flex workers assume risk?

financially (e.g. have to pay for your own car and gas as an Uber driver)

income: work is uncertain and earnings are variable

safety: hazards may occur in personal vehicles

employment/protection risk

what is the labor process theory?

management transforms purchased labor power into effort

is winning a union election the same thing as having union power?

no; after winning a union election there are many other steps that need to be taken in order to gain power:

• organize and establish representation

• secure recognition/bargaining

• negotiate a first contract with management

• enforce the agreement

what kind of rules determine the difficulty of collective action?

institutional rules (government and the NLRB)

what categories fall into gig work?

independent contractors and contingent workers

independent contractors (gig work)

includes freelancers, contractors, and consultants

account for 7.4% of employment as their only job

contingent workers (gig work)

workers in temporary jobs or jobs that are not expected to continue

account for 4.3% of employment

what does the racial/SES division look like for gig workers?

Hispanic, Black, and Asians do gig work more than white people (woohoo we love being a minority)

in addition, education levels below high school, lower income, and foreign born people are more associated with gig work

how do gig workers and employees differ in their benefits?

employees have access to a lot of benefits that gig workers do not have access to (e.g. minimum wage, overtime pay, paid sick days/family leave, etc.)

labor power

a worker’s capacity to work (e.g. time, skills, attention, potential effort, etc.)

labor

the work actually performed by the worker

includes pace, intensity, quality, and content

how does the labor process look like?

1. employer contract, where pay/hours/role is agreed upon

2. indeterminacy: the actual cooperation effort and pace of the worker and management

3. control systems (management measures work does and provides motivation)

what is labor control about?

it’s about who decides what work gets done, how fast, when, to what standard, and with what discretion

includes:

• the what

• how

• pace

• time

• quality

• knowledge

what would Marx say about labor control?

that it is exactly what alienates a worker from the work they perform and services/goods they provide

what are the 4 ways workplaces exert labor control?

1. directly like supervisor giving you orders, observing your behavior, and correcting your work

2. indirectly like the machines and softwares structuring what workers can do (e.g. EnrollNYC and that Google Sheet Core Team used)

3. bureaucratic like the evaluation systems, rules, and the job ladder to ascend in a company

4. normative via the culture/identity/values a worker has that encourages them to work