The Wagner Act Essay Example for Free

The Wagner Act Essay Prior to the enactment of the Wagner Act, the United States already had several labors. The Railway Labor Act, which was passed in 1926, required employers to enter into collective bargaining agreements with unions. It also prohibited discrimination on the part of the company against the unions. The RLA however, only applied to railroads and was subsequently amended in order for airlines to be included. Thus during this period, while it was legal to form unions, companies were not prohibited from firing employees for being union members. In 1993, at the behest of then President Franklin Roosevelt, the National Industry Recovery Act was passed. Among the provisions, specifically Section 7(a), employees were not only given the right to form unions but that joining or non-joining of a union would not be used as a requirement for employment. That particular section also required companies to abide by conditions of employment such as the number of work hours and minimum wage as set by the President. However, the Act came under fire due to concerns of its effectiveness as was eventually overturned by the Supreme Court in May 1935. In order to address the issue of employers and unions, the Wagner Act or the National Labor Relations Act was passed in 1935. Named after its proponent, Sen. Robert F. Wagner, the Act incorporated Section 7(a) of the former NIRA. This particular section became the pillar of the Wagner Act. Aside from giving employees the right to form unions, the Wagner Act also defined what it considered as unfair labor practice by an employer. Under Section 8, an employer is said to have committed unfair labor practice if it: interferes, restraints or coerces an employee from joining, dominates or interferes in the formation of a union, discriminates an employee for being part of a union, seeks reprisal against an employees for filing unfair labor practice charges, and refuses to enter into a collective bargaining agreement with the unions. With the passing of the Wagner Act, two important things happened. First, membership in unions began to increase dramatically. From a mere 10% prior to the act, more than 30% of the total US workforce became union members by the 1950s. The second was the formation of the National Labor Relations Board. The NLRB is the agency that is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the Act. By approving the Wagner Act, it was seen that the government was ready to go against the private sector by giving employees the right to form unions and enter into collective bargaining agreements. All these however changed after World War II. As a result of the war, certain groups raised the issue of balancing the power enjoyed by both the labor sector and the companies. Thus in 1947, the Labor-Management Relations Act or Taft-Hartley Act was passed. The Taft-Hartley Act is considered as an amended to the Wagner Act. Although the Taft-Hartley Act retained some of the provisions of the Wagner Act there were also some changes implemented.   Notable changes include the delay or suspension of a strike if it would lead to a national emergency situation. The act also excluded employees who were at the supervisory level from being covered by the provisions of the Wagner Act. A closed shop or a company that hires only union members was also banned. The Taft-Hartley act also protected non-union members from being discriminated by union shops. A union shop is a company that although allows non-union employees to join, eventually requires these employees to eventually join a union. While maintaining the list of unfair labor practice by employers stated in the Wagner Act, the Taft-Hartley Act now included a list of unfair labor practices by unions.   Among others, the amendment required unions to give a 60 days notice to mediators of a planned strike and enter into good faith negotiations with employers. The Taft-Hartley Act further protected employers from facing reprisals from unions if it expressed adverse opinions against the unions. The Act also made it illegal for companies to practice featherbedding. That is, forcing employers pay certain individuals wages despite doing no work. Under the amendment, the primary functions of the NLRB was now to prevent and find solutions to unfair labor practices that is by either the employers or the unions.   The NLRB was also tasked to determine if employees prefer to be represented by union for the purpose of conducting collective bargaining with the company. Currently, the NLRB is divided into two sectors. The Board, which is composed of five individuals, has the task of deciding on cases based on records under administrative proceedings. The General Counsel on the other hand, is in charge of investigating and prosecuting unfair labor practice cases. The General Counsel is also the group tasked to supervise the processing of cases in the field offices. The Board and General Counsel is independent of each other. Another law worth mentioning is the Landrum-Griffin Act or the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959. While it did not make sweeping changes like the Taft-Hartley, it nevertheless amended the Wagner Act by including additional unfair labor practices not included in the Taft-Hartley. The idea behind the Landrum-Griffin Act was to give further protection to the union members from their leaders. The Landrum-Griffin Act enabled a more open selection of union leaders. It also gave members the right to file legal charges against the union without fear of reprisal. While it is clear that the three laws mentioned are pro-labor, the passing of the Taft-Hartley Act tilted the scales somewhat in favor of the employers. However, membership in unions continued to increase despite the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act mainly because of the protection afforded by these laws. As seen from the laws that have been passed, the focus has always been on the employees. While the Wagner Act curtailed the abuses likely to be done by the companies, the Taft-Hartley Act restrained unions from becoming abusive and becoming a much bigger problem. The Landrum-Griffin Act effectively gave back the power of the union to its members and served as a warning for union leaders to ensure that their interests is in line with the general membership. While some sectors are saying that it may be time to repeal or amend these laws, particularly the Taft-Hartley Act, such a decision may not be good for now. While union membership may not be as high as it was before, the reason may not be entirely because of the provisions set forth in these laws. Currently, the labor force of the US is facing competitions form automation and outsourcing. Most companies nowadays prefer to use labor from countries outside the US since the wages are cheaper and the labor laws are lenient compared to those in the country. While the law encourages employers and unions to discuss collective bargaining agreements, it does not prevent companies from laying-off employees in the event of a financial problem. The labor union in the US has come a long way in order to be where it is right now. The laws, first and foremost, have always been there in order to protect the workers and ensure good working conditions. Union leaders should make good use of the provisions under the law. The Wagner Act and its amendments, the Taft-Hartley Act and Landrum-Griffin Act, were not enacted for aesthetic purposes. Unions should remind employers on why it was enacted in the first place. References National Labor Relations Act. National Labor Relations Board. 14 April 2008. http://www.nlrb.gov/about_us/overview/national_labor_relations_act.aspx

From The Lord To The Devis Hands :: essays research papers

â€Å"I came to do the Devil’s work† is the ironic and sad truth that Reverend John Hale realizes in Arthur Miller’s dramatic play, The Crucible. One can see that Hale’s personality changes enormously throughout the play. These changes are illustrated by Hale’s many statements in the play. The statements in the beginning of the play establish Hale’s firm beliefs and toward the end of the play his disgust with the outcome of the trials.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hale is a very intriguing person with many character traits. â€Å"They must be, they are weighted with authority.† (p. 36) This shows that he is sure of his actions and himself. Another thing that he is sure of is witchcraft. This is shown when he states, â€Å"The Devil is precise; the marks of his presence are as definite as stone.† (p.38) and, â€Å"Are you gathering souls for the Devil?†(p. 44). One of Hale’s character flaws is that he judges by appearances. â€Å"You look as such a good soul should.† (p. 37) and, â€Å"A claim so weighty cannot be argued by a farmer.† (p. 99) He claims to be the right-hand man of the Lord, â€Å"Have no fear now; we shall find him out if he has come among us, and I mean to crush him utterly if he has shown his face.† When in reality, his actions and beliefs end with tragic results. Hale believes so strongly in his religion that he is willing to use unjust procedures to extract the information he wants. He does this when questioning Tituba and John Proctor. â€Å"When the Devil comes to you, does he come with another person? Perhaps another person in the village?† (p. 45) and â€Å"God put you in his hands to help cleanse this village.† (p. 46) Hale uses these persuading techniques and the authority of the church to find and punish the â€Å"enemies† of the church.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the second act, the audience can actually make a distinction between the morally weak Reverend Parris and Reverend Hale. When Hale goes to the Proctor’s house and hears about the accusations, he states, â€Å"if Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothing’s left to stop the whole green world from burning.† (p. 80) Yet, Hale is so religious that he has difficulty denying the charges. He even states, â€Å"until an hour before the Devil fell, God thought him beautiful in heaven.† (p. 68) Hale has a mental conflict here: His personal feelings tell him that a person such as Rebecca couldn’t be a witch but his training has taught him that Rebecca could be possessed by the Devil.

Environmental Speech Essay

My speech will be about Global warming, this is the rise in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. In 2011 the emission of carbon dioxide and was the highest it had ever been before and it had also taken a similar jump in 2012. Over all, emissions of carbon dioxide had jumped 3 percent in 2011 and in 2012 it was estimated that it had jumped another 2. 6% in 2012. Scientists are 90% sure that Humans are the cause global warming from producing greenhouse gases produced by human activity like using a car which is burning fossil fuels and also is caused deforestation. Since the early 20th century the Earth’s average temperature has increased by 0. 8 degrees centigrade. The effect of an increased temperature will result in the rise of sea levels. Global warming is strongest in the arctic and causes a more frequent occurrence of extreme weather events such as heat waves, heavy rainfall, droughts and species extinction. How do we stop Global Warming? Turning the thermostat down a few degrees can make a big difference in decreasing our carbon dioxide emissions. Replacing a regular light bulb with compact florescent lights will save you ? 15 over the life of the bulb and reduce global warming. Driving less and using public transport more often will reduce the carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels which are burnt every day from transportation vehicles. Decorating your house with plants and trees will help as they take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.

The Subjectivity of Women to Modern Mass Media’s...

Mary-Cate Grimes Diller ENG 102 Spring 2013 Research Argument Rough Draft The Subjectivity of Women to Modern Mass Media’s Construed Views of Beauty and How Their Effects on Body Image According to Medline Plus’s medical dictionary, a portion of the National Institute of Health’s website for patients and their families and friends, â€Å"body image† is defined as â€Å"a subjective picture of one s own physical appearance established both by self-observation and by noting the reactions of others.† From the start, it is made obvious by such a definition that any person’s self-body image is sculptured partly by others’ opinions and societal context. This, in turn, supports that this is the basis for the majority of mass media’s success; they†¦show more content†¦Despite the differing circumstances of these earlier time periods, the same unrealistic bodily ideals that society expected of women then still exist today. Mass media emits mixed signals as to what’s â€Å"hot† and whatâ €™s â€Å"not† with every advertisement they publicize. On one hand, companies advertise emaciated supermodels through television, magazine advertisements, and the like, who are idolized simply because they are skinny, as skinny has developed into one end of the â€Å"hot† spectrum of modern-day America. There is a catch, however. More and more supermodels, like those who model for Victoria’s Secret for example, have thin bodies, muscle tone, and larger chests. Many women have the tendency to idolize this figure and believe this is the way they should want to look in order to be considered â€Å"sexy.† Even the Barbie doll, for example, has unrealistic proportions that are simply physiologically impossible for any woman to have. These ideals are far too irrational for any woman to reach. On the other hand, more and more companies are making claims that larger, plus-size women should also be viewed as â€Å"beautiful† or â€Å"sexy,† in a ttempts to make those who are larger than â€Å"normal† feel more comfortable in their own skins. Given these mixed images, women are faced with unrealistic expectations every time they crack open a