Labor Issues: Most Popular Articles

Pros and Cons of Unions
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.

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.

Auto Industry 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.

History of 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.

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.

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.

Organize
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:

Family Leave
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.

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

Help for Workers
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.

Foreign-Born Workers
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?

Organized Labor
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.

Service Employees
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.

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.

Collective Bargaining
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.

How Labor Rules Are Made
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.

Labor Issues - Articles
An index of Articles for the Labor Issues guide site.

Solidarity Charters
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.

Strikes
Thinking of going out on strike? Here are some important guidelines you should know about before taking any type of job action.

FMLA Changes
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.

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Green Cards
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.