Question

What harmed unions in the 1920s?

Answer 1

Hint: The labour movement in the United States arose from the need to safeguard workers' collective interests. Organized trade unions struggled for higher pay, more fair working hours, and improved working practices for those in the manufacturing sector.

Complete answer:
- The hundreds called strikes in 1919 and 1920 as employees found employers reluctant to bargain for better pay after the war as rates continued to rise.
- In 1919, 3000 workers went on strike after their employers refused to pay them wages or allow them to join unions. Despite the advances gained by coal miners, the labour movement was severely harmed during the 1920s, with union attendance down from over 5 million to about 3.5 million.
- During the 1920s, union representation fell as relative growth brought more employment and higher pay without the need to form a union. Businesses attempted to establish a "Open Shop" working climate, which meant that they wished to employ everyone, not just union members.
- Republican Business Leaders and the fact that many Union members voted Republican, federal governments did not work in the Union's favour. The Democrats, according to Labour, would be the most beneficial to them. In the 1930s, this strategy paid off.

Therefore we can conclude that the Unions in the 1920s were harmed by rising wages which made it harder to attract new members.

Note: Non-union members, mostly management, hate unions because they make it harder for them to collaborate with their employees to complete their tasks. Workers and management have a confrontational rivalry because of unions. They eliminate the opportunity to praise and punish good and bad work.