Labor Unions: Aging Dinosaur or Sleeping Giant? The Labor Movement and Unionism Background and Brief History Higher wages! Shorter workdays! Better working conditions! These famous words echoed throughout the United States beginning in “1790 with the skilled craftsmen” (Dessler, 1997, p. 544). For the last two-hundred years, workers of all trades have been fighting for their rights and “seeking methods of improving their living standards, working conditions, and job security” (Boone, 1996,p.287). As time went by, these individuals …showed first 75 words of 10052 total…

…showed last 75 words of 10052 total…relieving them of some of the financial burden associated with hiring new employees or retraining existing ones (Pressman, p. 164)”. So, it is generally obvious what unions must do if they are to survive into the next century. Now with their goals so clear to them, unions can begin their struggle to regain their rightful place in business. Whether or not they succeed will only be known with time, or $3.99 a minute if you’re impatient!