Labor Scholars in the Early

¶ … labor scholars in the early 20th century recognized that "the overshadowing problem of the American labor movement has always been the problem of staying organized." Why is staying organized a problem? What should unions do to increase their success in organizing new employees and in staying organized?

The American labor movement has met with innumerable setbacks since the early 20th century. Staying organized has been difficult for the movement, partly because of its diversity and demographics. Poor leadership models plagued the movement, causing it to virtually disintegrate at times. Organized labor membership plummeted, from representing more than one third of all non-agricultural workers in the 1945, to a mere fraction of that in 2010 (Silverman). Thus, the term organized labor came to connote something of an oxymoron.

Both internal and external forces have contributed to the reasons for why labor has had trouble staying organized. Internal forces include the inability to create cohesive political goals for members and the inability to work with, rather than against, the diversity of the labor force. The members of labor unions "most reluctant to organize" include what have ironically been also the fastest growing demographics: women, service industry workers, and college-educated workers ("The Labor Union").

External factors that have adversely impacted labor's ability to remain organized include social and political changes in the United States. During the 1960s, labor had the opportunity to join with the Civil Rights movement in fulfilling core goals such as the prevention of labor exploitation. Instead, the political turmoil of the 1960s left labor without strong enough leadership. Moreover, "unlike European union movements, American organized labor has avoided the formation of a political party and has remained within the framework of the two-party system," ("The Labor Union"). This may indeed be the most significant factor preventing productive labor union organization: the lack of interest in a labor-based political party. The Democratic Party usually champions labor issues but not with sufficient enthusiasm or clout. To increase their chances for future success, unions need to do the following: reach out to minorities and women; reach out to workers in skilled as well as unskilled labor; and also link with other political initiatives to have a greater impact on the Democratic Party.