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
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