Gen Y, Millennial, Next Up & Unionistas!

That's My Generation Baby!

 

 

Born between 1977–1994 this generation was influenced by Oklahoma City, Columbine, 9/11, Economic Expansion, Technology and Social Media.

Gen Y's are willing and not afraid to challenge the status quo they are confident and team spirited. They have a pure sense of justice, fairness, and equality and will fight for it!

Note: Grouping people based on their year of birth may be reliable for a large population and the will not fit every person born during the same span of time.




 1977 Willmar, Minnesota, Bank Workers' Strike began,

The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act moves oversight and enforcement of mines from the Department of the Interior to the Labor Department. The act mandates annual inspections for mines and requires that all underground mines establish rescue teams.

1978: The Pregnancy Discrimination Act bans employment discrimination against pregnant women.

1979 The film Norma Rae, based on a real life character trying to unionize a textile mill, is released. It wins an Academy Award for best actress.

1980 Joyce Miller joined the AFL-CIO executive board as the first female board member.[

1981 Raymond J. Donovan, picked by President Ronald Reagan to serve as secretary of labor, instrumental in creating the agency’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, and implementing the Migrant and Seasonal Worker Protection Act as well as the Retirement Equity Act.

1981 Sandra Day O’Connor is appointed by President Reagan to the Supreme Court, making her its first woman justice.

The Veterans’ Employment and Training Service is established

Federal air traffic controllers began a nationwide strike after their union rejected the government's final offer for a new contract. Most of the 13,000 striking controllers defied the back-to-work order, and were dismissed by President Reagan on 5 August. Reagan ordered them to leave.

Largest labor rally in United States history broke out in protest of Reagan's order.

1982 The ERA was defeated when only 35 states had passed the measure, three short of the 38 required for ratification.

1983 The Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act sets employment standards for farmworkers. The act replaces the Farm Labor Contractor Registration Act.

1984 The Retirement Equity Act is signed into law on Aug. 23, 1984. It amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act by addressing women’s rights not included in the original 1974 version of ERISA—including survivorship benefits, vesting and domestic relations orders.

1984 Geraldine Anne Ferraro was the first female Vice Presidential candidate representing a major American political party. She ran with former Vice President and Presidential candidate Walter Mondale.

1986 Female flight attendants won an 18-year lawsuit against United Airlines, which had fired them for getting married. The lawsuit was resolved when a U.S. district court approved the reinstatement of 475 attendants and $37 million back-pay settlement for 1,725 flight attendants. (United Airlines, Inc. v. McDonald, 432 U.S. 385 (1977))

1987 Ann McLaughlin Korologos (b. Nov. 16, 1941) serves as secretary of labor during the final two years of the Reagan administration. She devotes her tenure to addressing work-life balance issues as well as promoting economic growth as a means of improving working conditions.

1987 The US Congress declares March to be National Women’s History Month.

1988 The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, signed on Aug. 4, 1988, protects workers by giving them advance notice of plant closings or mass layoffs.

1990 Elizabeth Hanford Dole She is appointed as the first female secretary of transportation in 1983, and rebuilds the nation's air travel workforce after the 1981 air traffic controller strike. As secretary of labor, she negotiates an increase in the minimum wage and initiates efforts to help minorities break through the glass ceiling.

1990 The Americans with Disabilities Act, a civil rights measure, is passed to prohibit discriminatory practices on the basis of a disability

1991 Lynn Morley Martin, picked by George H.W. Bush to serve as secretary of labor in 1991. During her time at the department, she establishes the Glass Ceiling Commission to assist women and minorities, and initiates a model workplace program to provide leadership guidance for U.S. employers.

The Glass Ceiling Commission is created in 1991 to investigate the "artificial barriers" that prevent qualified women and minorities from moving into more senior positions.

1992 In "The Year of the Woman" a record number of women run for public office,

and win. 24 are newly elected to the House of Representatives and 6 to the Senate.

1992 Carol Moseley‐Braun, of Illinois, becomes the first African‐American woman elected to the U.S. Senate.

1997 Madeleine Albright is sworn in as US Secretary of State. She is the first woman in this position as well as the highest‐ranking woman in the United States.

1993 Robert Reich, picked by Bill Clinton to be secretary of labor. Under Reich, the minimum wage is increased, the School-to-Work Opportunities Act passes, the "No Sweat" program begins, and the Family Medical Leave Act is signed into law.

The Family and Medical Leave Act is best known for its provision of parental leave for the birth of a child. It also guarantees that a job will be there upon return, for new foster parents, caretakers of injured or ill relatives, workers with personal health problems, and others.

1994: Congress adopts the Gender Equity in Education Act to train teachers in gender equity, promote math and science learning by girls, counsel pregnant teens, and prevent sexual harassment.

The Violence Against Women Act funds services for victims of rape and domestic violence, allows women to seek civil rights remedies for gender-related crimes, provides training to increase police and court officials’ sensitivity and a national 24-hour hotline for battered women.

As you read more about the characteristics of Gen Y think about and identify what unites us? What divides us? How can we build bridges across the generational divide?
 

Generational Characteristics Gen Y

• Civic-minded and like to be involved in community
• Celebrate diversity
• Individualistic
• More narcissist than previous generations—not good at taking criticism
• Independent and open-minded; optimistic
• Display confidence and sense of entitlement; have high expectations of self
• Grew up feeling special—coddled and protected by parents and society; have distorted view between self-esteem and reality
• "Been there. Done that." attitude
• Want to know they are making a difference—local and global
• 40% raised in single parent households; are 4–5 times more likely to have experienced divorce
than previous generations

View of Authority

• Grew up with lack of central authority in schools (teachers acted as facilitators)
• Are less likely to follow social rules
• May not have automatic respect for authority—will make suggestions if it will improve situation
• Tend to have irrelevance and distrust of government and politicians, journalists, institutions
• Respect competency
• Are not impressed by position, titles, or authority
• See leadership as a participative process and are upfront with superiors
• Want leaders who are competent and inspire and motivate them
• Choose rules that make sense to them and allow others to follow different rules

 Technology
• Grew up surrounded by digital media and are more comfortable, knowledgeable, and literate than
previous generations
• Assimilate new technology whereas previous generations accommodate it
• Customize their digital world as new products come on the market
• Facility with technology has empowered them—are consultants to older adults in using technology
• Have a tendency to think quickly and juggle many tasks at one time
• Are heavy online users and can locate information easily and instantly on Web and through networking
• Have grown up with heavy reliance on technology, which has negatively affected basic spelling and
writing skills
• Use of technology has created demands for instant digital gratification

Relationships
• Lack of face-to-face interaction is due to heavy reliance on communication technologies
• Admire and respect parents and are open to input, but on their own terms
• Tend to be more loyal to peers, coworkers, boss rather than to organization
• Socializing and relationships are what makes work fun and are more important than productivity,
profitability, and achievement
• Like working and learning from colleagues they respect and hope to socialize and form friendships
with them
• Are inclusive and value collective action
• Relationship with immediate manager is a critical factor in whether they stay in job or not
• Form close bonds of loyalty with those who share their differences and honor their uniqueness

 Diversity; Change
• Due to surge in immigration, are American’s most racially and ethnically diverse and least-Caucasian generation; are aware and accepting of diversity
• Have easy attitude toward gender differences; readily willing to accept individual differences
• Thrive on innovation and always looking for a better way to get things done
• Move in sync with change—not rocked by unstable events in world
• Appear to be adept at working in larger and more diverse social networks than previous generation
• Want equal attention and treatment

 

 

 

Job/Career; Retirement
• Have a sense of entitlement
• Don’t want to climb the ladder and pay their dues
• Are the best educated generation ever
• Value institutionalized learning, i.e., professional certifications, credentials, degrees
• May explore many career paths before settling down; shifting from one profession to another
• Want meaningful roles and meaningful work that helps others—are struggling to find meaning
and purpose at work
• Want to learn, succeed, and earn money to fuel high level of consumption habits
• Want to succeed immediately and if they don’t see quick rewards will change jobs
• Many see themselves as independent contractors–don’t expect to remain loyal to one company

　

Work Ethic/Work-Life Balance
• Tend to be loyal to causes and purposes they believe in
• Work is a means to end
• Want to feel they are making difference—not quest for meaning in their work
• Greatly value and desire work-life balance—unwilling to put in long hours at work
• Not motivated by feelings of duty—working hard is not virtuous in itself—but it is worth it if they are singled out and recognized
• Look for organizations whose mission and values focus on more than profits
• Tend to have exceptionally high expectations of themselves and set unrealistic targets and goals
• Have unrealistic expectations about what it means to work—many are unwilling to work hard and
make sacrifices to get ahead as previous generation
• Combine working, learning, and playing at work

 

Motivation; Rewards and Recognition
• Salary is important to keep up with high cost of living
• Will insist on being able to do their work at the most convenient times and places
• Want to succeed immediately—do not see quick rewards at one firm, they will move somewhere else
• Appreciate flexible schedules and time for personal life
• Value opportunities for continuing professional growth and career advancement
• Like public acknowledgment, frequent recognition, and rewards at shorter intervals
• Want to have fun while doing helpful, meaningful work 

Gen Y Believes In Putting The "U" In Union & Uniting Together Makes Our Unions Strong!

SOURCES
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_labor_issues_and_events

http://www.dol.gov/100/timeline/#9

http://www.kenblanchard.com/img/pub/Blanchard_Next_Generation_of_Workers.pdf

                                       ~MORE~

 Youth and Unions
http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1103&context=workingpapers


We Are The Ones!
http://youtu.be/TN-fanNW5cE
  Dana Wilson Speaking at the 2011 AFL-CIO Next Up Young Workers
 http://youtu.be/kQvTEr4JwK0
 

 

 

Gen X, Dot.Com, Busters, Boomerang & Sistahs!

That's My Generation Baby!

 

Born between 1965–1976 this generation was influenced by Watergate, Women’s Liberation, Energy Crisis, Fall of the Berlin Wall, Desert Storm, MTV and the Internet.


Gen X openly acknowledges and embraces social diversity. As a cultural generation they look beyond demographics to define themselves by a shared location in history, common beliefs, attitudes and values.

Note: Grouping people based on their year of birth may be reliable for a large population and the
characteristics for that group may be interesting and informative; however, the general characteristics will not fit every person born during the same span of time.



1964 Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the the Economic Opportunity Act which, in part, creates the Job Corps

1965 Weeks v. Southern Bell, 408 F. 2d. 228 (5th Cir. 1969), marks a major triumph in the fight against restrictive labor laws and company regulations on the hours and conditions of women's work, opening many previously male-only jobs to women.

1965 The Voting Rights Act finally bans restrictions on voting, such as literacy
tests and other measures that discouraged African Americans from registering to vote.

1965 Dolores Huerta became the first female leader of the farm worker’s union. She
co‐founded the United Farm Workers with Cesar Chavez and became its contract negotiator.

1966 The National Organization for women (NOW) is founded by activist Betty Friedan
to end sexual discrimination.

1967 The Age Discrimination in Employment Act is signed into law by President Johnson.

1968 Shirley Chisholm (D‐NY) becomes the first African American woman U.S.

1968 Executive Order 11246 prohibits sex discrimination by government contractors and requires affirmative action plans for hiring women.

1969 The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) declared protective
legislation for women invalid.

1969 The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals rules that women meeting the physical requirements can work in many jobs that had been for men only.

1970 President Richard M. Nixon signs into law the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

1971 The U.S. Supreme Court outlaws the practice of private employers refusing to hire women with pre-school children.

The U.S. Supreme Court holds unconstitutional a state law (Idaho) establishing automatic preference for males as administrators of wills. This is the first time the court strikes down a law treating men and women differently. The Court finally declares women as "persons," but uses a "reasonableness" test rather than making sex a "suspect classification," analogous to race, under the Fourteenth Amendment.

1972 The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) measure won congressional approval.

1972 Coalition of Black Trade Unionists formed

1973 The U.S. Supreme Court bans sex-segregated "help wanted" advertising as a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended.

1973 Labor Council for Latin American Advancement founded

1974 The Coalition of Labor Union Women is founded.

President Gerald Ford signs the Employee Retirement Income Security Act into law.

1975 U.S. Congress voted down union-sponsored bill to reform the basic United States labor laws.

1976 U.S. Congress voted down union-sponsored bill to make it easier for construction unions to organize.

General Elec. Co v. Gilbert, 429 U. S. 125 (1976), the Supreme Court upholds women’s right to unemployment benefits during the last three months of pregnancy.

 

                                          

Generational Characteristics of Gen X

• May appear disillusioned, defensive; want high quality of life

• Self-reliant and resourceful

• Think and act according to their instincts

• May listen to counsel, but make own decisions

• Emotionally neglected by parents (first generation latchkey kids left on their own by divorced and/or working parents)

• Individualistic and diverse (ethnically, culturally, attitudinally)

• Independent, resilient, and adaptable

• Techno literate (grew up with PCs, VCRs, and video games)

• Entrepreneurial spirit

• Work-life balance a priority

• Informality

• Results oriented

• Global thinkers

 

View of Authority

• Question institutions (presidency, military, organized religion, corporations) and authority

• Tend to be skeptical toward authority

• Distrust hierarchy and prefer more informal arrangement

• May judge on merit rather than on status; are not impressed by titles or authority

• Are less concerned with office politics or playing the game within the system

• Dislike hidden agendas and secrecy

• Value independence and individuality—think of themselves as free agents or independent contractors

• Like to question policies and procedures that seem ambiguous, unclear, outdated

• Are flexible workers and independent agents and are uncomfortable with hierarchies and rigid structure


Technology
• Technology literate—first generation to grow up with PCs, VCRs ,and video games
• Grew up in environment of instant information such as open investigative reporting on TV and access to many types of information
• Technology is important to daily life and work and feel comfortable with it
• More educated than previous generations
• Expect employers to supply the latest technology to maintain their skills
• PC movement brought quest for equality, opportunity, individualism, and justice in the workplace

Relationships
• Prefer strong commitment to people and relationships; desire to build lasting relationships
• Seek sense of family, but family is not necessarily in terms of traditional or legal concepts but a
level of emotional commitment and support
• Can count on peers and themselves to get things done
• Tend to be self-directed; nonhierarchical
• More independent than Boomers or Silents

Diversity & Change
• Little concern about traditions or what honors the past
• Comfortable with and thrive on change; accustomed to fast-paced action and lack of stability
• Skeptical and attracted to the edge
• Comfortable with competing points of view or allowing contradictory perspectives or actions to
coexist
• Work well in multiculturalism settings; accept divergent approaches to religion, politics,
relationships
• Very receptive to women and minorities in management and leadership roles and believe in
equality in people, not necessarily equality in systems
• Treat people with different background/lifestyles in politically correct ways and enjoy building
relationships with them

Job/Career; Retirement
• Only 11% have lifetime careers
• Want responsibility, opportunity, and professional development and will move on if not provided
• Change careers more often than previous generations
• Self-managed and aggressive in creating own career path—constantly gaining many new skills and experiences to add value to themselves
• Have experienced limited mobility and career advancement due to Boomers’ prominence in the
workplace
• Approach a career lattice, moving laterally rather than climbing up the ladder
• Growing percentage becoming entrepreneurs
• Seek opportunities to become independent value adders—reinventing themselves and their roles
in organizations

Work Ethic/ Work- Life Balance
• Intrinsic value of work; it is a duty; sacrifice will pay off over the long term
• Periodic layoffs impacted blue-collar workers but did not last and workers were often called
back to original employer
• Sacrificed individual needs for the greater good
• Dependable—on time and ready to come to work
• Did not believe in rocking the boat, i.e., do not voice concerns and frustrations or complaints
out loud or publicly
• Strong work ethic; work is noble and ennobling
• Work life and family life are separate and distinct

Motivations, Rewards & Recognition
• Appreciate good schedule, time off, flexible hours, casual dress
• Like professional development/training opportunities
• Expect to be rewarded for small chunks of goaldirected behaviors (based on specific objective
criteria)
• Want to meet financial needs without too many demands on personal time

          Gen X Believes They Can Do Anything And They Will  
                              Educate, Agitate And Organize!

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_labor_issues_and_events

http://www.dol.gov/100/timeline/#9

http://www.kenblanchard.com/img/pub/Blanchard_Next_Generation_of_Workers.pdf


                                  Next week will will take a deeper look into the lives of Gen Y...


                                               ~MORE~

http://www.bergermarks.org/resources/SteppingUpSteppingBack.pdf

Mind Your Military Manners: Military Etiquette and Grooming 1970

http://youtu.be/IOZoi6jFk9o

 CHISHOLM '72 UNBOUGHT & UNBOSSED

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU0jtxf7-vo&feature=share

 Signed, Sealed and Delivered: 1978 Strike Against Mandatory Overtime, Speedups

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzQxmSst-dw&feature=gv

 

       Boomers, Revolutionary, Sisters in the Brotherhoods!
                              That's My Generation Baby!

Born between 1946-1964 this generation was influenced by the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War, Sexual Revolution, Cold War/Russia, Space Travel and Rock & Roll.



Boomers believed in power to the people, and they have maintained that power. Their sheer number made them a force to be reckoned with when they settled into the work force.

Note: Grouping people based on their year of birth may be reliable for a large population and the
characteristics for that group may be interesting and informative; however, the general characteristics will not fit every person born during the same span of time.

1946 The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women is formed.
1947 Taft-Hartley Act passed by U.S. Congress. The Act restricted union practices and permitted states to ban union security agreements.
1950 The Salt of the Earth Strike was the first major strike conducted by women and children.
1952 George Meany is elected president of the American Federation of Labor.
Walter Reuther is elected president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations
1955 The two largest labor organizations in the U.S. merged to form the AFL-CIO, with a membership estimated at 15 million.
1957 - A. Philip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, was elected as the AFL-CIO's first black vice president.
1958 100,000 striking ILGWU members in eight states win the required use of the union label to identify union-made textiles.
1959 U.S. Congress passed the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act.
The Landrum-Griffin Act passes, restricting union activity.
1960 - Black labor activists organized the Negro American Labor Council to promote civil rights in the American labor movement.
1961 On the suggestion of Esther Peterson, director of the Women’s Bureau of the
Department of Labor, President John F. Kennedy establishes the first national
Commission on the Status of Women. In 1963 the commission issued a report
detailing employment discrimination, unequal pay, legal inequality, and
Insufficient support services for working women.
1961 Eleanor Roosevelt chairs the First Presidential Commission on the Status of Women.
The Commission on the Status of Women report led directly to the passage of
the Equal Pay Act.
1962 President John F Kennedy issues Executive Order 10988 establishing limited collective bargaining rights for federal employees and widely regarded as the impetus for the expansion of public sector bargaining rights at state and local levels in the years to come.
1963 Congress passed the Equal Pay Act mandating equal pay to women
A. Philip Randolph and the Negro American Labor Council initiated the famous March on  
Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Martin Luther King, Jr, gave his famous "I    
Have a Dream" speech Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Martin Luther King, Jr,
gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech
 

As you read more about the characteristics of the Boomers think about and identify what unites us? What divides us? How can we build bridges across the generational divide?

Generational Characteristics of Baby Boomers
• Pursues personal gratification at expense to others
• Self-enlightenment—search for spirituality and meaning of life
• Believe in growth and expansion
• More liberal and idealistic
• Make the world a better place
• Competitive
• Celebrate individualism
• Internally motivated
• Optimistic—see the world in terms of infinite possibilities
• Team orientation
• Personal growth
• Involvement
• Work defines who they are

View of Authority
• Question rules and traditions of previous generation and either push for change or ignore irrelevant ones
• Challenge the establishment (divorce, living together, illegal drugs, radical rule breaking)
• Have tendency toward a collegial and consensual leadership style
• Although advocates of participative style management—find it difficult to practice it
• Brought up in a work environment that began to question authority and hierarchy approach to
business and are eager to shed command-and-control style
• Made profound changes in the 80s, such as participative management, flattened pyramids,
employee involvement

Technology
• Rise of television (from 172,000 in 1948 to 15 million in 1952) transformed social habits
• Were in the forefront of creating digital revolution;  70s technological revolution was beginning to
replace manufacturing as center of our economy
• Technology is important to current lifestyle at work and home, but is a challenge to learn

 Relationships
• Like to work for a manager who cares for them personally, treats them as equals, provides
opportunities to pursue new endeavors, and empowers them
• Equality is important; want to be treated as equals
• Value teamwork and participative leadership
• Competitive and like standing out in the crowd
• Interpersonal communication is important
• Relationships are important
• Good at delivering service—want to please
• Uncomfortable with conflict
• Reluctant to go against peers
• Personal gratification is important

　
Diversity & Change
 •Spearheaded cultural wars of 60s, i.e., equal rights movements—for example, racial
integration and women’s rights
• Preference for democratic, humane, and casual work environment
• Worked for equality in the system, although women and minorities reached glass ceiling
• Tend to be judgmental of those who see things differently
• Try to be sensitive to others’ differences (background and lifestyles) but prefer to be
separate and with people who are similar

Job/Career; Retirement
• 14% have lifetime careers
• Many started out wanting to build stellar career
• Chose few job changes—too many didn’t look good on resume
• Key factors in job choices include opportunity, glamour, and security
• Are questioning their careers and want work that is satisfying and fulfilling
• Those over 50 are now beginning to start own businesses; many want to make a difference for
people around them—not just for personal fulfillment
• Have redefined retirement—more than 2/3 plan to work after retiring out of necessity or because they want to
• Due to erosion of corporate retirement programs and Social Security uncertainty, many feel insecure about future
• Are the sandwich generation—helping kids through college and caring for elderly parents


Work Ethic/ Work- Life Balance
• Competitive and like standing out in the crowd
• Are aspiring to the freedom to work that is closer to their passions, to their heart, and gives sense
of satisfaction
• Insecure about their jobs due to downsizing, layoffs, restructuring in workplace and distressed
about early retirement
• Generation of workaholics that increased workweek from 40 hours to 70–80 hours per
week—now showing signs of stress and burnout
• Feel they have paid their dues—long hours, years of experience and waiting in line—and want more
work-life balance
• Tremendous pride in career accomplishments, persistent and unwavering work ethic
• Define themselves through their work

　
Motivations, Rewards & Recognition
• Deep identification of who they are by what they achieve at work
• Want to do great things—work on exciting projects
• Value time off as they are getting older
• Like to be rewarded with money, title, better shift, seniority, office parking spot perks
• Find satisfaction and meaning in work
• Paid their dues and want to slow down


Boomers Sing Solidarity Forever the Union Makes Us Strong!


 Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_labor_issues_and_events

http://www.dol.gov/100/timeline/#9

http://www.kenblanchard.com/img/pub/Blanchard_Next_Generation_of_Workers.pdf

Next week we will take a deeper look into the lives of the Gen X..

                                             ~MORE~

http://www.bergermarks.org/resources/SteppingUpSteppingBack.pdf


Batgirl Teaches Batman a Lesson about Equal Payhttp://youtu.be/n00xZ_mKQgk

AFL & CIO MERGER VIDEO:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpmHbH522Y0&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLC3D2D56C50548B19

SALT OF THE EARTH (1954) FULL MOVIE
http://youtu.be/i9oY4rmDaWw

   

 

   

Today in Labor History: November 22

20,000 female garment workers are on strike in New York; Judge tells arrested pickets: "You are on strike against God" – 1909


The population of New York City was more than half immigrant in the early 1900s, many of the shirtwaist workers were immigrants. These immigrants came from a wide variety of backgrounds(such as Jews and Italian), and crowded into immigrant neighborhoods like the Lower East Side of Manhattan Island, which at the time had one of the highest population densities in the world. Many of these immigrants, men, women, and children alike, worked for low pay in factories with terrible working conditions to help support themselves and their families. But they were also exposed to a bustling new world, and to the political and union organizers therein. Immigrant women especially often came from conservative social backgrounds which limited their interaction with men and people outside the family. But New York in the early 1900s provided the opportunity for these women to explore such social interactions, and exhibit a new level of independence.

Many of these women immigrants toiled in the garment industry, which was New York's best known industry at the time. They worked not for a single, large conglomerate but many smaller companies spread across lower Manhattan, among the largest of which were the Triangle and Leiserson shirtwaist factories. This workforce was more than 70% women, about half of whom were not yet twenty years old, and about half of whom were Jewish and a third Italian. In the production of shirtwaists in particular, the workforce was nearly all Jewish women. Some of them had belonged to labor unions in Europe before their immigration; many of the Jewish women in particular had been members of the Bund. Thus, they were no strangers to organized labor or to its tactics. Indeed, Jewish women who worked in the garment industry were among the most vocal and active supporters of women's suffrage in New York.

Garment industry workers often worked in small sweatshops, with the men doing the higher-paid work of cutting and pressing while women were paid less for assembling and finishing garments. Work weeks of 65 hours were normal, and in season they might expand to as many as 75 hours. Despite their meager wages, workers were often required to supply their own basic materials, including needles, thread, and sewing machines. Workers could be fined for being late for work or for damaging a garment they were working on. At some worksites, such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, steel doors were used to lock in workers so as to prevent workers from taking breaks, and as a result women had to ask permission from supervisors to use the restroom.
A sign in the elevator at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company warned, "If you don’t come in Sunday, don’t come in Monday." Workers who arrived to work five minutes late would be docked half a day’s pay.
  
On November 22, 1909, 19 year old Clara Lemlich had been listening to men speak about the disadvantages and cautions about the shirtwaist workers going on a general strike. After listening to these men speak four or more hours at a local 25 union meeting, she rose and declared in Yiddish that she wanted to say a few words of her own.

"[The bosses] yell at the girls and "call them down" even worse than I imagine the Negro slaves were in the South. There are no dressing rooms for the girls in the shops, no place to hang a hat where it will not be spoiled by the end of the day. We're human, all of us girls, and we're young. We like new hats as well as any other young women. Why shouldn't we? And if one of us gets a new one, even if it hasn't cost more than 50 cents, that means that we have gone for weeks on two-cent lunches--dry cake and nothing else."

"I am one of those who suffers from the abuses described here, and I move that we go on a general strike."

She declared that the shirtwaist workers would go on a general strike. Her declaration received a standing ovation and the audience went wild. Clara then took an oath.


"If I turn traitor to the cause I now pledge, may this hand wither from the arm I now raise."
-- Jewish oath taken by the shirtwaist makers after deciding to stage a general strike 

From the outset, the young strikers faced three-way opposition from the manufacturers, the police, and the courts. Triangle and Leiserson hired thugs and prostitutes to abuse strikers, often with aid from policemen who then arrested strikers on trumped-up charges of assault. In court, strikers faced hostile magistrates who upbraided the young women ("You are striking against God and nature," scolded one enraged judge), fined them, and, in some cases, sentenced them to the workhouse. In an attempt to curb abuses, the fledgling Local 25 of the ILGWU, which represented shirtwaist makers, asked the Women’s Trade Union League (WTUL) (established by upper-class suffragists in 1904 to promote the welfare of working women) to monitor the picket lines. After police arrested Mary Dreier, head of the WTUL, for allegedly harassing a scab, strikers won the sympathy of a previously indifferent public. The WTUL proved a valuable ally; its members walked the picket lines, raised funds, and pleaded the strikers’ case to the general public. The Forverts, the United Hebrew Trades, the Arbeter-ring (Workmen’s Circle), and the Socialist Party and its weekly The Call also provided important logistical and financial support.

　

Nonetheless, by early November, Local 25 had almost depleted its strike fund, and many strikers chose to return to work rather than suffer arrest, harassment, and personal injury. Furthermore, Triangle and Leiserson partially circumvented the strike by subcontracting work to smaller shops (though, on at least one occasion, subcontracted workers went on a sympathy strike). Instead of conceding defeat, Local 25’s fifteen-member executive committee (six of whom were women and all socialists) called for a general strike to shut down production entirely in the shirtwaist industry. On November 22, thousands of young women packed into Cooper Union to discuss Local 25’s recommendations. Samuel Gompers and Mary Dreier spoke, along with a number of luminaries of the Jewish labor movement, including Meyer London, labor lawyer and future Socialist Party congressman; Benjamin Feigenbaum, the meeting’s chair and popular Forverts writer; and Bernard Weinstein, head of the United Hebrew Trades. In speech after speech, speakers offered support, but urged caution. Frustrated after two hours, Clara Lemlich Shavelson—a leader of the Leiserson strike and a member of Local 25’s executive committee—demanded the floor and delivered what the press termed a "Yiddish philippic." In words now legendary, the impassioned twenty-three-year-old declared, "I am a working girl, one of those who are on strike against intolerable conditions. I am tired of listening to speakers who talk in general terms. What we are here to decide is whether we shall or shall not strike. I offer a resolution that a general strike be declared—now." Lemlich ignited the audience. In unison, the crowd pledged support for the general strike by reciting a secularly adapted Hebrew oath chanted by Feigenbaum.

　

The following morning, approximately fifteen thousand shirtwaist workers took to the streets. By evening, the number swelled to more than twenty thousand. According to some estimates, almost thirty thousand workers participated in the strike during its eleven-week duration, 90 percent of whom were Jewish and 70 percent women. "Learners" and "operators" made up the bulk of the strikers, but male craftsmen (who themselves employed "learners" and occupied a critical position in the production process) also marched on the picket line, thereby guaranteeing a complete work stoppage. Pandemonium reigned during the uprising’s initial days as thousands of workers rushed to meetings, swarmed union locals, and milled the streets. In the confusion, some workers returned to their jobs, demoralized. At the same time, a number of small shops quickly negotiated with the union to gain an edge on their larger competitors. Thus, hundreds of workers returned to their shops, even as hundreds of others joined the picket lines.

Throughout the uprising, arrests and harassment continued unabated. In one month, 723 people were arrested and 19 sentenced to the workhouse. Bail averaged $2,500 per day, and court fines totaled $5,000. Overall, the strike cost $100,000. Clara Lemlich suffered six broken ribs and was arrested a total of seventeen times. In one egregious miscarriage of justice, a ten-year-old girl was tried without testimony and sentenced to five days in the workhouse for allegedly assaulting a scab. In response to such outrages, the WTUL organized mass rallies at the Hippodrome, Carnegie Hall, and City Hall in which the strikers’ plight was connected to the suffragist cause. Although a degree of mutual suspicion existed behind the scenes, this alliance produced a new perspective that merged class consciousness with feminism (later named "industrial feminism").

"Learners" and "operators" conducted much of the uprising’s daily legwork. These bold young women—malnourished and poorly clad in the bitter winter cold—handed out leaflets, raised funds, distributed strike benefits, scheduled meetings, and maintained the crowd’s morale. Some of the outstanding organizers, such as Clara Lemlich, Pauline Newman, and Rose Schneiderman, had been active in radical politics even before their emigration from Russia. Hundreds of other women assumed leadership roles spontaneously, only to disappear after the strike.

　

For much of the eleven-week strike, workers and manufacturers were locked in a stalemate. The Associated Waist and Dress Manufacturers, representing the large employers, rejected the closed union shop. Exhausted, but determined, workers refused to budge on this point, fearing that an open shop would leave the union powerless to enforce agreements. However, the strikers (represented at the negotiating table by Socialist Party leader Morris Hillquit and John Mitchell of the United Mine Workers) could not hold out. The general strike was called off unceremoniously on February 15, 1910, with about a thousand workers still on the picket line.

　

Though not a complete victory, the uprising achieved significant, concrete gains. Out of the Associated Waist and Dress Manufacturers’ 353 firms, 339 signed contracts granting most demands: a fifty-two-hour week, at least four holidays with pay per year, no discrimination against union loyalists, provision of tools and materials without fee, equal division of work during slack seasons, and negotiation of wages with employees. By the end of the strike, 85 percent of all shirtwaist makers in New York had joined the ILGWU. Local 25, which began the strike with a hundred members, now counted ten thousand. Furthermore, the uprising laid the groundwork for industrial unionism in the garment industry. Inspired by the shirtwaist makers, sixty thousand cloak makers—men, this time—launched the Great Revolt in the summer of 1910, and other garment strikes ensued across the country. After five years of unrest, the "needle trades" emerged as one of the best organized in the United States.

Less tangible, but equally important, the general strike convinced conservative veterans to accept women as capable union activists. The young women themselves discovered their own self-worth through the ideological ferment and economic struggles of 1909–1910. Many of them remembered the Uprising of the 20,000 as the formative event of their adult lives.

 

 

REMEMBER THE LADIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~MORE~

 

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SOURCES

www.unionists.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_shirtwaist_strike_of_1909

http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/uprising-of-20000-1909

http://www.nyu.edu/projects/mediamosaic/thepriceoffashion/pdf/frank-miriam.pdf

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA04/kane/strikers/moving.htm

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/history/Modern_History/1700-1914/Socialism/America/ILGWU_Strike.shtml?p=1

 

  Traditional, Silent, Veteran, Greatest, Giants!
               That's My Generation Baby!

Born between 1925-1945 this generation was influenced by the Great Depression, WWI & WWII, Korean War and the GI Bill.
Note: Grouping people based on their year of birth may be reliable for a large population and the
characteristics for that group may be interesting and informative; however, the general characteristics
will not fit every person born during the same span of time.


1930Rosina Tucker helped to organize the first Black labor union — the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.
1933Frances Perkins is appointed secretary of labor by President Franklin D.
Roosevelt, making her the first woman member of a presidential cabinet.
1941A massive government and industry media campaign persuades women to take
jobs during world War II. Seven million women respond becoming industrial
"Rosie the Riveters" and over 400,000 join the military.
1935The National Council of Negro Women is formed to lobby against racism, sexism,
and job discrimination.
1935
National Labor Relations Act  1935
Social Security Act
1938The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), also Federal Wage and Hour Law,
establishes a national minimum wage for men and women alike.

As you read more about the characteristics of the Traditionals think about and identify what unites us? What divides us? How can we build bridges across the generational divide?

 Generational Characteristics of Traditionals
• Worked together toward a common goal
• Delayed gratification
• Self-sacrifice for greater good
• Are patriotic and civic-minded
• Tend to be conservative; risk adverse
• Are dependable, reliable, and self-reliant
• Have obedience and respect for authority
• Have strong work ethic—work is duty
• Value dedication and commitment
• Value tradition, rules, and conformity
• Are considered forerunners, trendsetters, and pacesetters for Baby Boomers
  

View of Authority
• Value loyalty, dedication, and commitment to the organization
• Experienced command-and-control leadership in hierarchical organizations
• Seek clearly defined specialized roles and a strong central authority figure
• Have respect and trust for authority, leaders, and institutions
• Value rules and traditions, uniformity, standardization
• Experienced the power of unions and collective action under strong leadership to protect frontline
• Sacrificed individual needs for the greater good
• Are patriotic and civic-minded
• Are keepers of organization’s history and founding principles
• Have strong beliefs in law and order

Technology
• Grew up in a manufacturing era where physical manpower and assembly line work were more common than knowledge work
• Increasingly common usage of electrical appliances and new technology in transportation provided more mobility
• Developed skills with new technology slowly
• Tend to be uncomfortable with new electronic technology and may find it intimidating and
confusing—but will adapt to it if necessary, e.g., ATM cards, voice mail
• Prefer personal contact or live person on the telephone rather than voice mail message

 Relationships
• Pleasant and at ease with customers
• Personal sacrifice—put aside individual needs for common good
• Respect for authority
• Prefer formal communication that is limited to work issues only—may be uncomfortable
discussing personal life issues
• May get stuck in "we’ve never done it that way" mentality or seek one right answer
• Reticent when they disagree
• Later Silents produced leaders known more for their human relationship skills and their ability to negotiate than for their decisive leadership

 Diversity & Change
• Value conformity, consistency, rules, and duties
• Grew up during shift from agriculture to manufacturing economy
• Experienced racial and gender inequality
• Gender roles stereotypical—dad was breadwinner, women worked as nurses, teachers, secretaries
• Maintained traditional values and history of organization
• Male-dominated workplace—left-brained, rational, with confidence in scientific approach
• Uncomfortable with ambiguity and change
• Uncomfortable being around people with a different backgrounds or lifestyles than theirs

Job/Career; Retirement
• 29% have lifetime careers; not quick on reinventing their careers; waited for employers to create career path
• Strong union loyalty to protect workers, i.e., limit on hours worked and minimum wage
• One income family—dad worked; mom stayed at home
• Retirement is well-earned reward after lifetime service
• Partnered with institutions to get things done
• Work is duty; didn’t take job for granted—were grateful for it
• As senior citizens, many are safeguarding their entitlements (Social Security, Medicare)
• Moved up the ladder through perseverance and hard work
• Do not demand "deep" meaning from jobs—having work is satisfying in and of itself

Work Ethic/ Work- Life Balance
• Intrinsic value of work; it is a duty; sacrifice will pay off over the long term
• Periodic layoffs impacted blue-collar workers but did not last and workers were often called often called back to original employer
• Sacrificed individual needs for the greater good
• Dependable—on time and ready to come to work
• Did not believe in rocking the boat, i.e., do not voice concerns and frustrations or complaints out loud or publicly
• Strong work ethic; work is noble and ennobling
• Work life and family life are separate and distinct

Motivations, Rewards & Recognition
• Delayed rewards; driven by duty before pleasure
• Expect to receive a paycheck for job performed
• Seniority and age correlated
• Move up the ladder through perseverance and hard work
• Satisfaction of doing job well
• Rarely received praise and recognition; were grateful to have a job and did not take it for
granted
• Older workers want to be rewarded with travel time, challenges, money, flexibility
• Want financial gain and security

 Traditionals share widespread loyalty to unions that helped protect workers against unfair labor practices, tyrannical bosses, and unsafe working conditions.

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_labor_issues_and_events

http://www.dol.gov/100/timeline/#9

http://www.kenblanchard.com/img/pub/Blanchard_Next_Generation_of_Workers.pdf

Next week we will take a deeper look into the lives of the Baby Boomers.

                                                           ~MORE~
 
http://www.bergermarks.org/resources/SteppingUpSteppingBack.pdf