US Labor Laws

Many of the major US labor laws governing unions arose in the early 1930’s, however, unions existed well before this time. In fact, labor unions can trace their history, in some form, back to medieval craft guilds. Thus, organizing members of a profession to address issues within an industry has played a great role in the development of modern business practices. There is great value in studying the history of organized labor.

For this assignment, discuss the following with your classmates:

• In your opinion, what were the major issues in labor-management relations in the US before 1930? What role did the industrial revolution play in labor-management relations during this time period?
• How were these issues addressed differently in the US before modern employment laws were enacted
• Historically, what role has the HR profession played in labor-management relations and the development of US employment laws?  Should that role change, if so how?