Labor Relations - Term Paper Example

A large number of western nations to some extent decriminalized strike actions in the end of 19th century and the beginning of 20th century. In some cases, strikes are utilized to compel administrations to alter laws. Intermittently, labor strikes subvert the directive of a specified ruler or political party. In such instances, labor strikes are presumed to be part of a larger social force. This paper will look at a historically significant labor strike and the issues involved in the strike. The textile industry had begun spreading to the south in the 1880s.

By the year 1933, mills located in the south manufactured over 70% of woolen and cotton textiles in more novel mills. They drew this number from a group of displaced laborers and farmers eager to toil for less amounts than laborers and farmers on the north part (Irons 22). The labor strike was as a result of a number of factors. The textile sector was severely set apart and was only made up of workers from the white race as other areas of the economy. Prior to 1965, after the enactment of the Civil Rights Acts dealt with the issue of race in employment, not more than 2% of textile employees were from the African American race.

The mills encountered an obstinate issue of overproduction. The management made workers to toil for longer periods, adding the number of supervisors to prevent employees from leaving work, talking, slowing down during work, and paying them by piece rate. There were events that engulfed issues relating to the strike. When the owners of the mills decreased the workers working hours without increasing the wage rates per hour, in 1934, the United Textile Workers threatened to call for a countrywide strike.

The United Textile Workers necessitated for a distinctive meeting in New York to deal with the issues. The United Textile Workers listed a number of requirements for the textile industry, for example, removal of the stretch-out, a thirty hour week, restoration of fired employees, union recognition, and minimum earnings of between $13 and $30 weekly (Irons 46). In addition, the Great Depression worsened the situation. The economic turmoil forced several industries into bankruptcy. Moreover, those industries that endured the economic downfall enhanced the pace and amount of work and sacked employees.

Support for the labor strike was largely divided in terms of race. People from the white race enhanced the employees’ antipathy while the large black society completely took part in the labor strike. For instance, in Gastonia, where law enforcers used violence to deal with the strike, approximately 5,000 individuals from the black race took part in the Labor Day procession (Irons 133). Nevertheless, the local administration failed to give any form of aid to the striking workers and there were less sympathetic unions and churches to give assistance.

President Roosevelt formed a mediation board to address the issues. The board called for additional investigations into the impacts of the stretch-out and economic issues faced by the workers. The management refused to adopt the recommendations of the board. In addition, the owners of the textile industries declined to restore the striking workers all over the south. The result was a failure by a large number of workers returning to work in the industries (Irons 77). The strike had tremendous effects on the textile industry.

The United Texti