Organized Labor and Advancement of Human Rights in the United States
On December 10th, 1948, the United Nations released their Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Since then, December 10th has been celebrated internationally as Human Rights Day. Though we in the United States have a long way to go to reach the ideals laid out in that document, Organized Labor has done a great deal to help drag a sometimes-unwilling United States into a more equitable state of being.
In the United States, organized labor has played a critical role in shaping the rights we take for granted. While it cannot be universally said that the United States is a nation which values fairness, equity, and human dignity, organized labor has advanced those values far beyond where they would otherwise have sat. Though the labor movement is often associated only with fighting for fare wages, improved working conditions, and benefits for workers, its influence has extended far beyond.
The intertwining of organized labor and human rights begins in the mid 19th century. As America began to industrialize in earnest and production of factory-made goods exploded, it was the worker who bore the price of progress. Often facing 12–14-hour days, six-day work weeks, hazardous and often deadly working conditions, and low pay for backbreaking labor. All of this with little to no legal protection or recourse against their employers.
- 8-Hour Workday
Though its roots can be traced to several places, the 1835 General Strike in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania can fairly be called the first successful drive for a 10-hour workday. [1] The Brotherhood of Coalmen and Porters set a general strike which brough the city to a standstill for nearly a month, until their demands were met. In 1866, the National Labor Union (NLU) declared that it fully supported an 8-hour day for all Americans. While an 8-hour workday had been widely normalized by the early 20th century, it was not until the 1937 Fair Labor Standards Act that it was enshrined in Federal law.
- Workplace Safety
As mentioned above, working conditions during the industrial revolution were not exactly what one would call “favorable” to workers. Because modern factories and mills were so new, there was little to no regulation of working conditions, and factory owners were liberal with their money to make sure it stayed that way. By the late 19th century, only limited state-level regulations were in place to protect workers. Only high-profile disasters like the 1911 Triangle shirtwaist factory fire underlined the urgent need for nationwide reform. With the support of unions like the Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, national standards for building codes, fire suppression systems, and labor protections were established. Following this, landmark pieces of legislation such as the Fair Labor Standards Act and the establishment Occupational Safety and Health Administration (both strongly supported by the labor movement) have done a great deal to improve the lives and health of working people.
- Child Labor Prohibition
Child labor was prevalent in early industrial America. Children cost less to employ and were plentiful in the overcrowded, mostly immigrant slums of the cities of the American North and East. Children as young as five were employed in factories, farms, and mines, almost all of them uneducated and impoverished. The National Child Labor Committee partnered with labor unions to campaign for the abolishment of child labor, an effort which was eventually rewarded when the FLSA set minimum ages for employment. This victory not only protected American children, but emphasized the importance of education, which would lay the groundwork for a more equitable society.
- Addressing the Racial and Gender Pay Gaps
While labor does not have a flawless record for racial relations, it is important to point out that one of the only ways to guarantee equal pay for workers of different races in the same profession is being a union member. Unions like the Congress of Industrial Organizations took major steps to integrate workplaces and ensure equal treatment of workers, regardless of
In the early 20th century, unions such as the Women’s Trade Union League were among the first to fight for improved working conditions and better pay for the women working in mills in the American Northeast. Without organized labor, the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act would never have passed.
- Securing Benefits
Without labor unions, it is highly unlikely that American workers today would enjoy employer-provided healthcare, retirement security guaranteed by union-backed pensions, or any kind of paid leave, which is essential to maintaining stability in life (though we still have a way to go).
- Broad Support for Social Justice
The labor movement has a generally positive record with other movements for social good. From the UAW and AFSCME supporting civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King and John Lewis to ensuring same-sex married couples are able to receive equal benefits, the good generally outweighs the bad.
Organized Labor is deeply intertwined with the history and progress of human rights in the United States. Strengthening labor unions in the years to come is one of the only guarantees we have against backsliding. We are reminded that collective action is the cornerstone of societal progress. Workers’ Rights and Human Rights cannot be separated.
[1] Sharp, John G.M., The Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1835 & the Birth of the Ten-Hour Day