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Organized Labor Unions Are Vital to Working Class Americaa

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Organized Labor Unions Are Vital to Working Class Americaa
Organized Labor Unions are Vital to Working Class America
Jacki Barnes
Fred Giacobazzi
ENG 10403
April 27, 2009 Outline

Thesis: Organized labor union members are being pursued as the scapegoat for our country’s economic turmoil when the real culprits are the greedy union leaders, corporate heads, and Washington incompetence.

I. Private sector union membership has been steadily declining.

A. With our nation losing so many jobs in the industrial sector, unions will continue to lose membership.

B. Statistics show that trade union membership has been steadily declining since the 1970’s and due to the recent factory closings, downsizing, and layoffs they have taken a huge hit.

1. The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) is pending legislation that promises a fair and direct path to forming unions.

2. The EFCA will also increase penalties against employers for retaliating against pro-union workers.

II. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has provided the imperative data for collective bargaining.

A. For over a hundred years numerous studies and surveys have been conducted regarding wages for many of the industrial sectors.

B. Without the compilation of wage statistics, we would know far less about the money return for work.

1. The studies have shown that union workers in the same jobs earn more than their non-union counterparts.

2. The advantages to the union wage helps reduce turnover and cut down on efficiency costs.

III. Public sector unions are exceeding in America.

A. The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest and most powerful union in America today.

1. With the implementation of a local area network they have increased access to their information.

2. By creating a professional and functional website they are able to dispense information much quicker.

B. Labor unions need to combine their efforts to cut down on costs.

1. The Service Employees International Union and the California



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