1
HRMN 300 Assignment 2
<Name>
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)
HRMN 300 Human Resource Management
<Professor Name>
<Date>
, HRMN 300 Assignment 2 2
Question 1
A) Discuss in detail the current “state of labor unions” in the United States. Include a
synopsis of the history of unions in the U.S. and include some of the important
milestones in the movement’s history.
Unions in the United States started gaining ground with the modernization of railroads
and the Industrial Revolution around the late 1860s. This resulted from the lack of regulations or
laws in place for the safety and health of the workers from injury or death, plus extremely low
wages. One of the first unions was the National Labor Union (NLU), formed in 1866. The NLU
started a new era of labor organizations with the intent to transform the current labor laws, like
the eight-hour workday (UMGC, 2023, “Week 4: HRMN 300 Text Chapter 11” pp. 2-3).
Then in 1886, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) came to be, focusing on better
wages and security (UMGC, 2023, “Week 4: HRMN 300 Text Chapter 11,” p. 3). The Railway
Labor Act (RLA) was passed into law in 1926, covering only railroads at the time, but was
amended in 1936 to add airlines. The main purpose of the RLA was to reduce the disruption of
the delivery of goods and services. Part of this included outlining a structured method to resolve
labor conflicts to reduce strikes (UMGC, 2023, “Week 4: HRMN 300 Text Chapter 11,” pp. 6-
7).
The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) started in the 1930s as a separate branch
of the AFL. The AFL and CIO unions combined in 1955 to become the AFL-CIO, which still
exists today (UMGC, 2023, “Week 4: HRMN 300 Text Chapter 11,” p. 3). Another law passed
during this time was the Wagner Act or National Labor Relations Act, which stated no employer
can fire or interfere with employees joining or starting a union. The Taft-Hartley Act was
introduced in 1947, because of the unfair practices of the unions going on at the time. In 1959,
HRMN 300 Assignment 2
<Name>
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)
HRMN 300 Human Resource Management
<Professor Name>
<Date>
, HRMN 300 Assignment 2 2
Question 1
A) Discuss in detail the current “state of labor unions” in the United States. Include a
synopsis of the history of unions in the U.S. and include some of the important
milestones in the movement’s history.
Unions in the United States started gaining ground with the modernization of railroads
and the Industrial Revolution around the late 1860s. This resulted from the lack of regulations or
laws in place for the safety and health of the workers from injury or death, plus extremely low
wages. One of the first unions was the National Labor Union (NLU), formed in 1866. The NLU
started a new era of labor organizations with the intent to transform the current labor laws, like
the eight-hour workday (UMGC, 2023, “Week 4: HRMN 300 Text Chapter 11” pp. 2-3).
Then in 1886, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) came to be, focusing on better
wages and security (UMGC, 2023, “Week 4: HRMN 300 Text Chapter 11,” p. 3). The Railway
Labor Act (RLA) was passed into law in 1926, covering only railroads at the time, but was
amended in 1936 to add airlines. The main purpose of the RLA was to reduce the disruption of
the delivery of goods and services. Part of this included outlining a structured method to resolve
labor conflicts to reduce strikes (UMGC, 2023, “Week 4: HRMN 300 Text Chapter 11,” pp. 6-
7).
The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) started in the 1930s as a separate branch
of the AFL. The AFL and CIO unions combined in 1955 to become the AFL-CIO, which still
exists today (UMGC, 2023, “Week 4: HRMN 300 Text Chapter 11,” p. 3). Another law passed
during this time was the Wagner Act or National Labor Relations Act, which stated no employer
can fire or interfere with employees joining or starting a union. The Taft-Hartley Act was
introduced in 1947, because of the unfair practices of the unions going on at the time. In 1959,
