Labor unions and movements play a major role in the United States. Although they are treated synonymously, the labor movements encompass a broader scope than labor unions. Some of the examples of current labor unions and movements include National Guestworker, Domestic Workers United and Wal-Mart workers groups. The heart of the current labor initiatives in the United States can be traced back to the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (Collier & Collier, 2002). The labor law was imperative since it was intended to put the power of the government behind the worker’s right to organize unions and bargain collectively with their employers on issues such as wages, hours and working conditions. In the last thirty years, labor unions have declined in both membership and influence. The primary reasons for the reduced labor unions include weak labor laws and employer opposition. This paper will entail an analysis of the labor unions and movements in the United States including their history, current status and impact on business. In the United States, the earliest form of labor organization constituted mutual aid societies that ensured restriction of entry into the craft and enforced workplace standards. The labor organization did not raise conflicts or cause problems since the craft workers were few and the companies were small (Collier & Collier, 2002). The origins of the labor movement can be found in the formative years of the nation during the emergence of a free wage-labor market in the artisan trades during the colonial period. The earliest strike in labor history took place in 1768 after the New York journeymen tailors protested a reduced wage. The creation of the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers (shoemakers) in 1794 marked the onset of sustainable trade union organization among workers in America (Collier & Collier, 2002). After that union, local craft unions increased in the cities, publishing the prices for their work and protecting their trades against diluted and cheap labor. The industrial development in the early nineteenth century increasedthe gap between employers and skilled workers. The workers began to think offactories and industries as a threat to their wages and status. The workerssoon created fledgling craft unions toresist undesirable working conditions. The craft unions sought to resist immediate wage reductions, increased workinghours and unsafe working conditions. The unions also aimed to protect theirpolitical, social and economic rights. The unions moved from local to nationalmovements as both labor and product markets became national as a result ofimprovements such as transportation (Collier & Collier, 2002). Several factors inspired the early labor movement beyond the jobinterest of the craft members. It harbored the ideals of a just society basedon the Ricardian labor theory of value and the republicanconceptions of the American Revolution (Brody, 1993). Such ideals andrevolutionary conceptions fostered social equality, honest labor and dependedon an independent and virtuouscitizenship. The industrial capitalism and the associated economictransformations contradicted the labor’s vision. The solution as early laborleaders saw it was to categorize the society into the poor and the rich. Theadvocates of equal rights presented a series of reform beginning with theworkingmen’s parties. Some of the notablelabor reforms created included the Knights of Labor and the National LaborUnion (Brody, 1993). During the 1880s, the labor unions reinforced their relationshipwith trade unionism. The Knights of Labor recruited scores of workers with the vision of improving their immediateconditions (Brody, 1993). A conflict occurred between the national trade unionsand the Knights of Labor as they performed their strikes. The national tradeunions demanded the Knights to remain within the professed labor reformpurposes. Their refusal led to the national trade unions uniting to form theAmerican Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1886 (Brody, 1993). The AFL took severallessons from the fallen Knights that enabled it to consider the position ofcollective bargaining as an acceptable compromise. The compromise was necessary in the face of the ongoing laborstrike that ranged from slowdowns to industrial sabotage through thedestruction of equipment (Reynolds, 1984). The institution of the American Federation of Labor took place afterthe previous strikes ended in the defeat of the existinglabor movements and unions. The new union wasconvinced that the previous forms of unionization were diffuse andfragment. The old unions did not stand a chance against the violence that thecompanies could bring upon the workers. The leaders of the previous unionsorganized themselves as a federation of narrow and self-interested unions(Reynolds, 1984) The new federation marked a separation with the past since it deniedlabor reform further roles in the struggles of American workers and laborreforms lost its meaning hence the confusion and ultimate failure of theknights of labor due to industrialism. Trade unionism was defined as the movement of the entire working class (Reynolds, 1984).The formal policy represented all workers, irrespective of skill, race,religion, nationality or gender. Those unions that had created the AmericanFederation of Labor compromised only the skilled labor; therefore, the movementencountered a dilemma.A technological change began to undermine the crafting system ofproduction, some national unions moved towards an industrial structure, most incoal mining and the garments trades. The trade union took a racist and sexistcoloration since skill lines tended to conform to racial, ethnic and genderdivisions. The federation reversed an earlierprincipled decision and chartered the whites only internationalassociation of machinist after it was unable to launch in interracialmachinists in 1895. In 1902, African Americans made up a meager three percentof total membership (Reynolds, 1984).Nothing better captures the displaced amalgam of old and new in the postwarlabor movement than the treatment of minorities and women who came in masses,initially from the mass production industries. After 1960, they also came from the public and service sectors as well.  Labor’s historic dedication to racial andgender equality was reinforced, but not to the point of challenging the status quowithin the labor movement itself (Brody, 1993).The leadership structure remained largely closed to minorities. Theskilled jobs were historically reserved for the white male workers, notoriouslyso in the construction but the industrial unions as well. The AFL played acrucial role in the battle for civil rights legislation in 1964-1965 (Brody, 1993).The meaning they derived in achieving this kind of reform was more significantthan the chance to act on the on the broad ideals of the labor movements. This motivated tothe deployment of labors power with significanteffect in the achievement of John F. Kennedy’s domestic programs duringthe 1960s. The weakening of organized labor’s grip on the industrial sectorcontributed to the decline in political capability. New competitive forcesswept through the heavily ionized industries from the early 1970s onward set off by deregulation in communications andtransportation, by industrial restructuring, and by an unprecedented onslaughtof foreign goods (Montgomery, 2009). The labor sector has experienced a significant decline from 1985 to2012. During the administrations of George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and GeorgeW. Bush, the labor movement did not experience significant changes. However,the election of Barack Obama into the presidency in 2008 brought a glimmer ofhope to labor unions and movements in the United States (Montgomery, 2009).Labor required the establishment of methods to ensure the certification ofnewly organized unions. The Labor leaders advocated the Employee Free ChoiceAct that would compel organizations to acknowledge and bargain with unionsprovided that a majority of the employees requestedthe representation of unions. Currently, the labor unions and movements continue to lack the powerto influence the needed changes in the labor market. The unions anticipatemaking a comeback despite the legislative defeat in 2009. The increasing trendof outsourcing in the private sector is contributing to the decline in thepower of unions in that sector. The labor unions do not have power because ofthe outsourcing of workers to other countries that provide cheap labor. Thepattern of union densities explains the problems affecting the labor unions.The union density in the public sector was thirty-six percent between 1980 and1985. In the industry, it reduced from20.6% to 15.5% in the private sector during the same period (Zieger, 2004). Thereduced union density in both public and private sector shows the decline inthe power of labor unions and movements in America. The changes in the labor unions and movements throughout history canbe ascribed to the dynamics betweenworkers and corporations. A negative relationship exists between labor unionsand the companies because of a variety of reasons. Business owners recognizethe potential to compete successfully in an economy. However, the potential isattainable through flexibility in reducing wages, hiring and firing workers(Zieger, 2004). It is also achievable through the addition of extra hours ofwork and reducing the hours of free-time. Wages and salaries account for asignificant proportion of the overall costs. Currently, such costs are abovefifty percent, and corporations strive to ensure they remain at a minimum. Theresult is the conflict between labor unions and business owners because of thecontradictory nature of their goals. Labor unions and movements have several implications on businesses.One of the impacts includes reduced profitability because of the increasedcosts. The unions strive to ensure that their workers are rewarded deservedlywhile the companies aim to increase their profits through the reduction ofcosts including wages and salaries (Zieger, 2004). Labor unions also affect theproductivity of businesses since they affect factors that influenceproductivity. The unions demand reduced working hours consequently leading todiminished productivity in an organization. In conclusion, labor unions and movements have a conflicting relationship with corporations asevidenced throughout history. The labor unions are revolutionary and seek toensure the fair treatment of their workers. On the other hand, the corporationsstrive to maximize profitability, and this entails reducing the costs involved.They attempt to increase productivity through increased hours and reduced thefree time for the workers. The conflict of interests contributes to the strugglebetween labor unions and business owners.  ReferencesBrody, D. (1993). Workers in industrial America: essays on the twentieth-century struggle. Oxford University Press on Demand.Lewis, H. G. (1986). Union relative wage effects. Handbook of labor economics, 2, 1139-1181.Montgomery, D. (2009). Workers’ control in America: Studies in the history of work, technology, and labor struggles. Cambridge University Press.Reynolds, M. O. (1984). Power and privilege: Labor unions in America. Universe Pub.Zieger, R. H. (2004). American workers, American unions. Johns Hopkins Univ Pr.Collier, R. B., & Collier, D. (2002). Shaping the political arena (p. 53). Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press.Get Help With Your EssayIf you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help!Find out more