Labour Union



Labor Union, association of workers that seeks to improve the economic and social well-being of its members through group action.
A labor union represents its members in negotiations with an employer over all aspects of an employment contract, including wages and working conditions. These contract negotiations are known as collective bargaining. By giving workers a united voice, a union can often negotiate higher wages, shorter hours, and better fringe benefits (such as insurance and pension plans) than individual workers can negotiate on their own. When an employer and a union cannot reach an agreement through the collective bargaining process, the union may conduct a strike (organized work stoppage). Or, an employer may prevent workers from entering the workplace in a lockout.
In many countries, labor unions have official affiliations with political parties and seek to bring about social change through legislative and political action. In other countries, including the United States, no formal ties of this kind exist. The United States has a tradition of so-called business unionism, in which the main goal of the labor movement is to improve wages and working conditions. Unions in the United States, however, often engage in political activities. These activities include lobbying for legislation that furthers the aims of the labor movement and providing financial support to political candidates who are friendly to union causes.



Pete Seeger Sings Union Song















Pete Seeger Sings Union Song
Folk singer Pete Seeger has recorded many songs from the labor movement. Here, accompanying himself on the banjo, he sings Which Side Are You On?, written by Florence Reece in 1932 during a coal miners’ strike in Harlan County, Kentucky. During the strike, company deputies ransacked the Reece house in search of Florence's husband, Sam, who was a union activist. She soon wrote the words of this song to the tune of an old Baptist hymn. Seeger first recorded it with the Almanac Singers on the album Talking Union in 1941.
Encarta Encyclopedia
© Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved."Which Side Are You On" by Florence Reece, published by Stormking Music, BMI, performed by Pete Seeger from Songs of Hope And Struggle (Cat.# Smithsonian Folkways SF CD 40096) ©and(p)1998 Smithsonian Folkways. All rights reserved.






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