Why Workers Get Paid Less

In this world, people always needs to have a paid work in order to make a living for themselves. Usually typical work lasts 8- hours and work for at least 5 days a week, but there are times where people work more because what they are doing is important or they get paid more for working more. However sometimes, companies abuse this by making the worker work more and get paid less, a problem that is still existing in the world. In order for the workers’ voices to be heard, they must come together to file a complaint and form a union to fight for their individual rights and have a better working condition and better payment. Historically, there were many instances that workers stood up for themselves and formed a union to negotiate with the
factory or their place of work for a better treatment of the workers and better pay, enough to make an affordable life, especially those with family. This was the reality during the times of Industrial Revolution, harsh working condition which often lead to fatality, low payment that forced workers to live in an unsafe and very dirty condition housing blocks. As Peter mentioned this factor, Peter has an option to try to resolve this issue, and that is to form a labor union. Another alternative is to contact United States Department of Labor to file a “Safety and Health Complaint”. The purpose of this is to give “employees and their representatives the right to file a complaint and request an OSHA Inspection of their workplace if they believe there is a serious hazard or their employer is not following OSHA standards” (United States Department of Labor). Although Peter is scared about filing a complaint but the Department of Labor assures that all information will be confidential therefore, the foreman and the factory owner will not know exactly who filed the complaint. If Peter wishes to take a different approach, he can go to a labor union and speak to them about the issue that the factory workers face. Labor unions are a way for the workers to have a representative that talks on their behalf to bargain for a better working and better wage. In the United States alone there are four major labor unions, one of them being American Federation of Labor- Congress of Industrial Organizations. However, there are local labor union as well and Peter should consult them first, before going for the bigger union such as AFL-CIO. If Peter wants the entire nation to hear out the problem workers face, they can always do a peaceful demonstration. Such example of this is during the year 1985, workers at Hormel meatpacking plant in Austin, Minnesota conducted a demonstration against low wage they have been received from the factory. The event was that “Hormel froze wages in 1977. So by 1985, when the company demanded a 23 percent wage cut on top of that wage freeze, workers walked off the job in protest” (Baier). Though the protest was redeemed unsuccessful, but the news went to a national level and gained sympathizers from all around the nation in exchange. Peter must begin to think about his method of approach to gain equality for the workers, he can either bring the union to his side or he could organize a demonstration, the latter being the last resort. Even today, many workers suffer from overworking, and getting paid low for the amount of work done, Peter’s potential factory is just an example of this unfairness by the factory side. To secure a better working condition and better payment, Peter needs to stand up on behalf of the employees working at the factory.