Articles Index

Profile: Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO)
The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) has played a major role in the history of the American labor movement from the 1930s until the 1950s, when it merged with the AFL to form the AFL-CIO. Here is its story.

Profile: American Federation of Labor (AFL)
Before there was an AFL-CIO, there was an AFL. It was known as the American Federation of Labor and had millions of members. Here is what they did and details about their influence over labor relations.

Profile: United Auto Workers (UAW) Union
The United Auto Workers Union (UAW) has a major stake in the health of the U.S. auto industry. Here's some historical background on the UAW and its significance.

Profile: American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Union
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is a union representing educators, as well as many other professions. It has a major influence on national educational policy. Here's how it evolved.

Profile: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
AFSCME started with a focus on local civil service managers and then grew to include government employees from diverse fields. More recently, it has added many healthcare workers to its ranks. Here is its story.

Profile: UNITE HERE Union
The merger of some of the best-known unions from the early 1900s has led to creation of UNITE HERE, a national labor union representing diverse occupations and members. Here's how it came into being.

Profile: International Brotherhood of Teamsters Union
International Brotherhood of Teamsters is one of the nation's best known unions. Here's how it evolved over the past century.

Profile: Service Employees International Union SEIU
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has been steadily growing in membership reversing a trend found in many other U.S. labor unions. Here's an explanation of some of its success.

Human Resource Pros Back Revisions to FMLA
The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a burdensome law for many human resources departments. It's not always clear what it covers. It’s supposed to cover serious health conditions not relatively minor ailments. Changes have been debated for years.

Family Leave Laws Help Employees
Several states have enacted family leave laws that allows employees to spend up to six weeks bonding with their new babies or taking care of ailing relatives.

How to Immigrate into the U.S. to Work at a Job
There are millions of requests each year for foreign nationals of other countries to become an immigrant into the United States. Many of these residents are granted Permanent Resident Cards, commonly called “green cards.” Here are some guidelines on how to get this kind of permanent resident status.

Do Foreign-Born Workers Benefit or Hurt the United States Economy?
The debate over illegal immigration is an emotional one. Taking a more analytical look at the issues, the basic question arises whether foreign-born workers, illegal or legal, benefit the United States economically?

Strikes May Help Workers But There Are Many Risks
Thinking of going out on strike? Here are some important guidelines you should know about before taking any type of job action.

How Management Can Respond to Unions
Are your employees trying to form a union? Do you have a union in place? Would you like to see a union depart? Here are some tips for management about unions.

U.S. Auto Industry: Its Future Is Intertwined with the Future of its Workers
What's ailing the U.S. auto industry? Many of its ills can be found in the issues facing its declining workforce. How they are resolved may determine the future of the once-thriving industry. Here's more about the situation with auto workers.

List of National Labor Unions
Need to contact a union or find out more about it? Here is a list of information: address, phone number and web page for many national unions.

What is the Minimum Wage
Want to know the minimum hourly salary that you should be getting paid? Here is an explanation of the minimum wage, who earns it, how it is determined, and whether it's a good for the economy when it increases.

Help for Workers: Where to Turn to with a Labor Problem
Were you denied a promotion or harassed based on age, race, gender, religion or disability? Are there workplace safety hazards? Find out where to turn to for assistance with your concerns.

Steps Employees Can Take to Organize a Union
Are you and your colleagues frustrated at work? Do you think laws are being violated or the pay is too low? Consider forming a union. Here's how the process unfolds:

Historical Snapshot of U.S. Labor Relations
What to know how labor relations of today came to be? Here is a historical snapshot of how workers and management came to organize into unions and develop methods of human resource management.

Who Makes Labor Rules
Want to know who decides how much the minimum wage will be? Or, what is considered a safe task at your job. Here is an explanation of how labor laws and regulations are made in the U.S.

Pros and Cons of Unions: Should You Form One
Workers will find many benefits if they become members of a union. They will have more leverage when bargaining as a group to get higher wages, increased benefits and improved working conditions. Studies do show that union members in many fields earn more money than non-unionized employees. But be careful. National unions are always looking to expand their reach to different workplaces. Their priorities may not be the same as yours.

Solidarity Charters for Local & State Unions
The AFL-CIO's Solidarity Charter program has encouraged a unified labor movement at the state and local level. Local unions can affiliate at the local level of the AFL-CIO even if their national unions have broken away from the AFL-CIO. Here's more about this new development.

Labor Issues Dominate Illegal Immigration Debate
Secrecy, illegal border crossings, exploitation, employer confusion, fear of job or wage loss by U.S. workers. These are just some of the results of the current immigration system for foreign workers. Here is an explanation of some potential reforms that relate to labor relations.

Collective Bargaining & Arbirtration Explained
Need to know what it means for workers to go into collective bargaining with their employer? Here's a basic overview of this common labor practice.