Before their strike in 1934, dockhands on the West Coast were paid a pittance in exchange for performing bone-crushing physical labor. No matter how heavy or dangerous the cargo, it fell upon the longshoreman to haul it almost entirely by hand: Workers pulled and...
At the turn of the 20th century, industrial expansion was the apple of America’s eye. Factories churned out products from silverware to guns to cars at a breakneck pace. A web of railroads tied the country together. Cities began to expand not just out, but up, with...
While there had been scattered strikes in the Thirteen Colonies prior to the Revolutionary War, America’s labor movement did not take root until the mid-19th century. In fact, during the early years of the United States, labor unions were actually considered...
In the early 1900s, the most widespread method for heating homes was by burning anthracite coal–also known as “hard” coal–which could be found in abundance in Pennsylvania. The coal mining industry employed hundreds of thousands of workers, and by the turn...
Why do labor unions need to exist? What do they accomplish? These are questions one might ask when considering the definition and use of a labor union. Defining “Labor Union” To understand the history and current functions of labor unions, it is important to first...
Stephen Koppekin is the founder and CEO of Koppekin Consulting, Inc. An experienced former executive who spent decades overseeing industrial relations and workplace safety for major businesses in the entertainment industry, Stephen started his own independent consulting business shortly after retiring. He uses 43 years of experience in labor and employment, during which time he worked at two major entertainment corporations and in government agency National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), to support a diverse client set.
