It's Labor Day. Thank a Union Member.
Because it’s so easy to take for granted some of labor’s most impactful victories we all enjoy.
Here are 35 reasons why we all should love unions.
These are important aspects of modern life–protections, benefits, opportunities–that unions fought for and won. For all of us. Whether we belong to a union or not.
So if you enjoy your weekends, or paid vacation time, or parental leave, you have unions to thank. We would all do well to remember that this list is made possible by the power of collective bargaining.
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All breaks at work, including your lunch breaks
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Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
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Civil Rights Act/Title VII – prohibits employer discrimination
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Workers’ compensation (workers’ comp)
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Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) – prohibits employers from using a lie detector test on an employee
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Compensation increases and evaluations (i.e. raises)
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Equal Pay Acts of 1963 & 2011 – requires employers pay men and women equally for the same amount of work
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Laws ending sweatshops in the United States
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People are starting to recognize once again the value and power of unionization. And this is why we're seeing so many efforts of workers in many disparate industries who are trying to organize — and an equal pushback from powerful business leaders and politicians. Let's keep the fight going.
Happy Labor Day, everyone!
It is collective bargaining–which is outlawed in several states–that has enabled so many of the important aspects of American life that we all enjoy.
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