Earl Blumenauer: “The history of organized labor in the United States goes beyond the colorful to include stories of drama, heated…”

“The history of organized labor in the United States goes beyond the colorful to include stories of drama, heated conflict, and even violence. Any objective view of history shows that legitimate efforts of workers to organize and represent themselves have been subjected to an amazing array of extraordinarily aggressive behaviors on the part of employers and at times even of the government itself. Indeed it was regarded by many business and government leaders as a subversive activity. There has been violence and intimidation on both sides but systematic repression against workers is certainly one of the darker chapters in our history. Over the last century, organized labor has brought about the five-day workweek, overtime pay, and workplace protection; ultimately, unions helped create America's middle class. These are benefits that we now take for granted, but which were fought by many business interests who had taken advantage of unorganized workers. These issues arose out of intense conflict and were faced with great difficulty. There are numerous examples in today's workplace that attest to the continuing need for workplace protection. Recently we have found that the Federal Government has no longer been serving as a neutral protector of collective bargaining within the organizing process.”