About This Lesson
To understand the debate over the Employee Free Choice Act, one must understand the basics of the labor movement and union organization. That's not easy, in a world in which union organization has hit a low point. Fewer than ten percent of American workers today are unionized, compared to 35 percent in the mid-20th century. Yet we all benefit from rules such as the 40-hour workweek, the minimum wage, and workplace safety regulations.
This lesson draws on students' prior knowledge to help them understand the importance of the labor movement, and gives them buy-in that can drive further inquiry.
Objectives
- Students will understand their connection to the history of organized labor
- Students will identify major strategies and tactics of labor organizers
- Students will consider ways to apply these or other tactics to improve working conditions today
- Students will identify some major figures in the history of the labor movement, and recognize the role of average, less-celebrated workers in the success of that movement.
