Thursday, December 12, 2013

 
 
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

 


 

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

 
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