 This issue of the Yiddish socialist daily, the Forward, endorsed Roosevelt for reelection as “Labor’s Choice” on the cover of its November 1, 1936, rotogravure section. In 1936, Roosevelt garnered a whopping 85 percent of the Jewish vote. |
This was the case during the Great Depression. Most men felt lucky to have jobs and were not willing to go on strike for fair pay or decent working conditions because they were afraid they would lose their jobs. They knew there were thousands of unemployed men that employers could hire to replace striking workers. Many workers were afraid to even join labor unions in case it got them fired.
But after 1935, labor unions began to grow and become powerful again. As New Deal programs took effect and the economy improved, employers could hire more workers, and more of those workers were unionized. The CIO grew rapidly because one of the first unions to join it was the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (the UE). In a decade when electricity was being provided to more and more Americans and radios were the mass media of choice, the UE was able to unionize hundreds of thousands of workers in over a thousand manufacturing and electrical plants. The CIO was also joined by rubber and steel workers as the construction industry recovered from its Depression lows.
The AFL also grew, despite the fact that it never swerved from its focus on craft unionism. The AFL and the CIO did agree on one thing: They supported FDR. The union vote was a major factor in his landslide re-election in 1936. For the first time, unions became part of the political landscape. Anyone running for president had to have union support because so many American workers were union members. Along with farmers and big business, unions were part of FDR's political support system. "
Check your understanding of labor union battles during the Great Depression by answering these questions.
Why did labor unions get stronger after 1935?
- The economy was stronger and more workers were hired, including union workers.
- The CIO grew rapidly because of its recruitment of UE workers.
- The competition between the AFL and the CIO led more workers to join one of those unions.
- They became part of FDR's political support system.
Unions grew stronger because the economy as a whole grew stronger, and more union workers were hired. The AFL and the CIO benefited from this trend, which also led unions to become politically important for the first time.
Unions grew stronger because the economy as a whole grew stronger, and more union workers were hired. The AFL and the CIO benefited from this trend, which also led unions to become politically important for the first time.
Unions grew stronger because the economy as a whole grew stronger, and more union workers were hired. The AFL and the CIO benefited from this trend, which also led unions to become politically important for the first time.
Unions grew stronger because the economy as a whole grew stronger, and more union workers were hired. The AFL and the CIO benefited from this trend, which also led unions to become politically important for the first time.
What is implied when we say unions became politically powerful because so many workers were unionized?
- As more workers joined unions, those workers became more politically active than ever before.
- The competition between the AFL and the CIO led to government regulation of unions.
- Unions told their members who to vote for or encouraged them to vote a certain way.
- As the New Deal helped unions grow, unions decided to support federal programs.
As the poster on this page shows, union workers were encouraged to see certain candidates as pro- or anti-union and to vote for the pro-union candidate. Unions did not always tell their members who to vote for because it was often clear which candidate in a political race was pro-union.
As the poster on this page shows, union workers were encouraged to see certain candidates as pro- or anti-union and to vote for the pro-union candidate. Unions did not always tell their members who to vote for because it was often clear which candidate in a political race was pro-union.
As the poster on this page shows, union workers were encouraged to see certain candidates as pro- or anti-union and to vote for the pro-union candidate. Unions did not always tell their members who to vote for because it was often clear which candidate in a political race was pro-union.
As the poster on this page shows, union workers were encouraged to see certain candidates as pro- or anti-union and to vote for the pro-union candidate. Unions did not always tell their members who to vote for because it was often clear which candidate in a political race was pro-union.
Summary
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