INTRODUCTION
“I see no reason to believe that American trade unionism will so revolutionize itself within a short period of time as to become in the next decade a more potent social force than it has been in the past decade” (Porter, 2012; p. 1).
When George E. Barnett, president of the American Economic Association and one of the nation’s foremost economists, warned the country of the inevitable death of organized unions in 1932, the country was in the depth of the Great Depression. It is hard to believe that after almost a century of progress that the American labor movement has made, today’s organized unions are once again forced to face a circumstance similar to that of the Great Depression. Organized unions’ memberships plummeted by an estimated 20 percent in the last decade. Job insecurity, exploitation of workers, and lack of leaderships along with dominating corporate influences were common themes in the Great Depression and have resurfaced once again in the 21st century Great Recession. George E. Barnett’s words have echoed through 80 years of globalized America as today's economists mapped out the decline of organized unions and pondered the consequences of organized unions’ demise.
As the country's socio-economic sphere continues to decline, and as labor movement is also losing its status as one of the shaping forces of American prosperity through the empowerment of the middle and working class, the academics, union members, and the public grapple with the question of what will happen if organized unions disappear altogether. Why did organized unions decline? What are the economic and social impacts associated with the disappearance of Organized Unions? How will society adjust to the current changes in the market place in the absence of organized unions? The economic crisis, as well as the historical swing that organized labor had from great power to a political defeat, has made the labor movement something like a game of poker between businesses and the government, leaving workers as a bargaining chip rather than the social agents that they should be. This thesis explores the ethical tensions and debates that arise from what seem to be an obvious problem but when looked further; the complexities surrounding the issue are more than obvious. It does so by analyzing three related perspectives and consequences of an uneven distribution of power among workers, businesses, and the government and how the challenges should be tackled.
As I will also discuss in this thesis, a greater problem than the downfall of organized labor is that even though it may be unfair and unjust to limit workers’ right in order to greedily improve companies’ performances, it is not illegal. It is an unrighteous but standard practice for companies to participate in with the objective to maintain a competitive edge in this globalized market. However, there are ethical tensions of fairness and justice all around, including in the companies' discriminatory business practices against workers and the public interest and in the government's subjective and unjust intervention of the market. Should the government interfere with the free market and maintain workers’ security? Or should the government leave the market to stabilize by itself, letting companies to regulate their workers’ rights based on market dynamics. Given that the long term health of a society’s economy depends on the balance of power of workers’ and their employers, it is hard to argue that governments should be ethically obliged to interfere and protect, preserve, or promote worker rights. It may make sense for the government to intervene in certain situations, but the determination of what those situations will be depends on a range of complex factors.
Chapter 2 discusses the ethical implications aligned with the fall of organized unions and the complexity surrounding the issues. First, this chapter will briefly describe the current trend that led to the downfall of organized unions. Then, historical perspectives will be addressed to clarify the issues and help provide the readers with factors contributing to the decline. The chapter will close by addressing the consequences of the decline of organized unions through the historical case of the 1911 Triangle Factory Fire and the imbalance of power between organized unions and businesses.
Chapter 3 provides insights to the government's subjective actions against organized unions and its consequences to the country's socio-economy as well as alternative solutions organized unions can take to contribute to the stabilization of power among the government, businesses, and the people. The chapter will address the political and economic implications of overwhelming corporate power on the government and societal economic health of the country. Afterward, the chapter will demonstrate the public frustration and contempt over increased corporate power and the lack of government support through instances across the country. The chapter will close by addressing historical and futuristic alternative options widely discussed in an attempt to justly and objectively help solve the decline of organized unions.
Chapter 4 discusses historical instances of government involvement to justly and objectively maintain balance of power in favor of the publics’ interests. The chapter will take a look at the Roosevelt administration and the consequences of President Roosevelt’s New Deal during the Great Depression. Then, the chapter will transition to today’s’ global economic crisis and the government pro-business stance. The chapter will close by attempting to analyze the two eras and the consequences associated with each.
Society has come a long way to reach where we are today. The sacrifices made by many in the past generations have produced for the better or worse an economic situation the country is in today. It is difficult to map out all the probabilities that certain actions by the government, businesses, or the public will have on the future of the country. However, it is not an excuse to turn a blind eye and let injustice and unethical practices go unregulated. Ethical responsibilities do not rest in the hands of a few but rather in the hands of many.