Union History
The 1881 Atlanta Washerwomen Strike saw African American washerwomen (laundresses) strike in order to establish which of the following:
A) Better Pay
B) A Guaranteed Base Salary
C) More Respect and Autonomy
D) All of the Above
D) All of the Above
Representing an early strike of domestic workers, the washerwomen founded the Washing Society and engaged in door-to-door canvassing while also working with Black churches to expand their movement. The strikers received significant resistance from white authorities and businesspeople, putting fines on them and raising their rent.
This is the Union that Liam belongs to. It is an international union with 1.2 million members and retirees, largely in the US, Canada, and the Caribbean. Their workers can be found in almost any industry, but their name references their history in one particular industry.
A) Teamsters
B) United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW)
C) United Auto Workers (UAW)
D) United Steelworkers (USW)
D) United Steelworkers (USW)
Liam is the Union Steward for USW Local 9358 Unit 1 that represents MassCOSH staff.
This action occurs when workers at a worksite decide to withhold their labor in order to pressure their employers to improve their working conditions, pay, benefits, or other problems.
What is a Strike!
June 2023 witnessed a McDonald's Mascot-based phenomenon, where unfortunate individuals were met with grisly deaths after consuming which dairy beverage?
The Grimace Shake
Unions in the United States originally rose to prominence due to the long hours, low pay, and dangerous working conditions of what era:
A) Second Industrial Revolution (1870s)
B) World War II (1941 - 1945)
C) American Revolution (1775 - 1783)
D) The Reagan Era (1981 - 1989)
A) Second Industrial Revolution (1870s)
This was the era of railroad building and widespread factory work where conditions for workers were largely horrific.
The Boston Teachers Union (BTU) union proudly represents more than 10,000 teachers and other professionals in Boston Public Schools. The BTU is the local affiliate for which statewide union?
A) Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
B) International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
C) American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
D) American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
C) American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
Technically AFT Massachusetts, this union represents more than 1 million educators and supporting staff across the state. Individual workplaces, like the BTU, are represented by Local unions, which come together under regional labor organizations like AFT Massachusetts to increase their power. Its like a union of unions!
True or False: According to the Department of Labor, Union worksites are 19% MORE likely to have an OSHA violation and had 34% MORE violations for every OSHA inspection than non-union worksites.
False!
It is the opposite, Union worksites are 19% LESS likely to have an OSHA violation and had 34% Fewer violations for every OSHA inspection than non-union worksites. This means that union worksites are safer for workers.
July 2023 was a massive cinema moment, with two huge movies releasing on the very same day. The word-combo phenomenon that resulted was known as:
Barbenheimer
The first incidence of a strike was recorded during what historical period?
A) Medieval Europe
B) The Renaissance
C) The US in the 1800s
D) Ancient Egypt
D) Ancient Egypt
On November 14th, 1152 BCE (3,175 years ago!), artisans of the Royal Necropolis walked off their jobs because they had not been paid. The Egyptian authorities subsequently raised their wages.
This union represents over 30,000 wood workers, pole drivers, shop and millmen, millwrights, and floorcoverers working in the construction industry across New England and New York.
A) Laborers' International Local 22 Boston
B) Sheet Metal Workers Local 17
C) North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters
D) United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers, and Allied Workers
C) North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters
The Carpenters union provides apprenticeship opportunities for young folks who want to work with their hands and make a good living while doing it. The average union salary for a carpenter in Massachusetts is around $70,000, and many come to make over $100,000/year.
According to the Department of Labor, unions can improve the well-being of middle-class workers by raising incomes, improving their working environments, and boosting job satisfaction. Their study found that union workers make what percentage more than non-unionized workers:
A) 0%-5%
B) 5%-10%
C) 10%-15%
D) 15%-20%
C) 10%-15%
While this is a significant difference, it does not include retirement benefits, medical benefits, life insurance and other benefits that were much more commonly received by workers in unions.
April 2023 witnessed a bowl-cutted suburban teenager musically expressing his pride for his unique footware. How did his song go again?
1, 2 buckle my shoe
3, 4 buckle some more
5, 6 Nike kicks!
The height of unionization in the United States, when around 35% of US workers were in a union, occurred in which decade?
A) 1920s
B) 1950s
C) 1880s
D) 2020s
B) 1950s
After World War II, workers in huge manufacturing industries like automobile production were represented by strong unions with good contracts, leading to prosperous lives for unionized workers. However, some of the largest unions of the era excluded non-whites from their ranks.
We met a representative of this union over the Summer. This union represents workers in the service industry, including hotel, gaming, food service, airport industries, and more. The folks that we met were bar tenders at the Encore Casino.
A) Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
B) UNITE HERE!
C) United Auto Workers
D) United Food and Commercial Workers
B) UNITE HERE!
This labor union represents more than 300,000 people working across Canada and the United States. They are predominantly made of up women and people of color.
In order to begin a union, what is the first major step that workers have to take?
A) Asking the boss
B) Getting 30% of the workplace to sign a petition in favor of unionizing
C) Submitting a letter to the Department of Labor
D) Holding a Rally
B) Get 30% of the workplace to sign a petition in favor of unionizing
After this, the boss can voluntarily recognize the union, and if they don't, all the workers vote. If they reach a majority of pro-union workers, then the union must be recognized and allowed to bargain with the boss under US Labor Law.
August's most popular meme were images of a shy, goofy Kevin James taken from promotional shots from which famous millennial sitcom?
King of Queens
Unions began to decline in the 1970s largely because of which economic process?
A) Deindustrialization (Manufacturing jobs moving overseas)
B) Inflation (Increase in prices)
C) Gas Prices Increasing
D) Stock Market Crashes
A) Deindustrialization
In the 1970s, globalization allowed companies to move manufacturing production overseas, which led more American workers to find jobs in low-wage service industries where unionization was historically low.
This union recently went on a large strike targeting the Big Three companies in one large American industry.
A) United Auto Workers
B) International Union of Operating Engineers
C) American Postal Workers Union
D) Amalgamated Transit Union
A) United Auto Workers
The workers won big in this strike, new contracts will raise wages by at least 25% and boost retirement contributions and other benefits.
This popular term refers to workers who "cross the picket line" and go into work while their fellow workers are striking.
A) Upstanding American patriot
B) Rat
C) Mole
D) Scab
D) Scab
If you have ever seen a big inflatable rat outside of a workplace, that was Scabbie the Rat!
Thinking back to March, we were introduce to a large, muscular body-builder with prince charming hair whose posing videos were overlayed with silly, over-confident text. These videos were set to which popular 1993 hit featuring the singer asking about the nature of affection.