Question 1

Early unions were considered by the courts to be

Accepted Answer

Early unions were often viewed by courts as a form of criminal conspiracy. This perspective was based on the idea that unions interfered with the natural competition between workers for wages and conditions, and their collective actions were seen as conspiratorial against employers and the free market.

Question 2

The first union to organize workers across skills, industries, and regions was the

Accepted Answer

The Knights of Labor, established in 1869, was the first labor union to organize workers across various skills, industries, and regions, aiming for broad labor reforms.

Question 3

The organization that was set up to promote the interests of a loose group of craft unions was the

Accepted Answer

The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was established to promote the interests of a loose group of craft unions. It focused on skilled workers and aimed at achieving better working conditions, wages, and hours through collective bargaining.

Question 4

The founder of the American Federation of Labor was

Accepted Answer

Samuel Gompers was the founder of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1886, focusing on skilled workers.

Question 5

How did the AFL feel about unskilled noncraft workers?

Accepted Answer

The American Federation of Labor (AFL) primarily focused on skilled craft workers and was largely unconcerned about unskilled noncraft workers, as it prioritized the interests of its skilled membership base.

Question 6

When all workers in the garment industry organized together, this was

Accepted Answer

When all workers in the garment industry organized together, it represented an industrial union. Industrial unions are characterized by organizing all workers in a particular industry, regardless of their specific skills or occupations, which contrasts with craft unions that organize workers based on specific skills or trades.

Question 7

The AFL was formed to promote

Accepted Answer

The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was formed to promote strictly economic goals, such as better wages, hours, and working conditions for laborers.

Question 8

By the 1930s, when new technology advanced and craft distinctions blurred, the

Accepted Answer

The CIO (Congress of Industrial Organizations) was formed in the 1930s as a response to the AFL's (American Federation of Labor) focus on skilled labor, aiming to organize industrial workers, including nonskilled workers, which led to significant growth in union membership.

Question 9

From the 1930s to the 1980s, union membership in the United States, measured as the number of labor force members,

Accepted Answer

Union membership in the United States increased from the 1930s to the 1980s, largely due to the growth of the industrial economy and the influence of New Deal policies that supported labor organizing.

Question 10

From the 1950s to the 1980s, union membership in the United States, measured as a percentage of the labor force, remained fairly constant at

Accepted Answer

From the 1950s to the 1980s, union membership in the United States, as a percentage of the labor force, remained fairly constant at around 25 percent.

Question 11

Since 1980, union membership in the United States has

Accepted Answer

Since 1980, union membership in the United States has declined rapidly due to various factors including globalization, automation, and changes in labor laws.

Question 12

The first major piece of prolabor legislation was the

Accepted Answer

The Norris-LaGuardia Act of 1932 was the first major piece of pro-labor legislation in the United States, which restricted the power of federal courts to issue injunctions against nonviolent labor disputes and marked a significant shift towards the protection of workers' rights.

Question 13

The closed shop was outlawed by which act passed by Congress in 1947?

Accepted Answer

The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 outlawed the closed shop, which required workers to be members of a union before they could be hired.

Question 14

The Civil Rights Act of 1964

Accepted Answer

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 required unions, among other entities, to adopt affirmative action policies to prevent discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Question 15

The Landrum-Griffin Act was designed to

Accepted Answer

The Landrum-Griffin Act, also known as the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, was primarily designed to protect union members from corrupt, abusive, or undemocratic practices by their unions. It established democratic standards for union elections and financial management, among other regulations, to address concerns about union abuses and criminal activities.

Question 16

How does a monopsonist decide how many workers to hire and what wage rate to pay?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How does a monopsonist decide how many...

Question 17

a.Can you explain why some employees who work for monopsonists might feel that they are underpaid?
b. Why can't the firm raise their wage rates to keep them from feeling this way?

Accepted Answer

The answer of a.Can you explain why some employees who...

Question 18

a.Explain the difference between a closed shop and a union shop.
b. Which of these would firms prefer? Why?
c. Which of these would unions prefer? Why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of a.Explain the difference between a closed shop...

Question 19

Would a union of all the restaurant workers in your area be more or less successful at winning wage increases without suffering employment losses than a union of all the pizzeria workers in your area? Explain.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Would a union of all the restaurant...

Question 20

Is it ever rational for unions to strike if they know that their members will never be able to make up for the wages they lose during the strike? Explain.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Is it ever rational for unions to...

Quiz 16: Wages and Employment: Monopsony and Labor Unions