What was labor like during the Great Depression?

What was labor like during the Great Depression?

A labor market analysis of the Great Depression finds that many workers were unemployed for much longer than one year. Of those fortunate to have jobs, many experienced cutbacks in hours (i.e., involuntary part-time employment). Men typically were more adversely affected than women.

How did the Great Depression affect labor?

Although the advent of the Great Depression reduced AFL membership to fewer than 3 million, the Depression helped advance the labor movement by creating sympathy for the plight of working people (at the depths of the Depression, about one-third of the American work force was unemployed).

What was the NLRB during the Great Depression?

The act established the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to punish unfair labor practices and to organize elections when employees wanted to form unions. The NLRB could force employers to provide back pay if they unjustly discharged employees for engaging in union activities.

Was the NLRB successful during the Great Depression?

Although often viewed as a dismal failure, the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) has been remarkably successful. In addition to industrial peace, the NLRA aimed to secure equal bargaining power and industrial democracy through greater union membership.

How did the NLRA change the rights of workers?

Congress enacted the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”) in 1935 to protect the rights of employees and employers, to encourage collective bargaining, and to curtail certain private sector labor and management practices, which can harm the general welfare of workers, businesses and the U.S. economy.

How did the Great Depression affect factory workers?

As consumer confidence vanished in the wake of the stock market crash, the downturn in spending and investment led factories and other businesses to slow down production and begin firing their workers. For those who were lucky enough to remain employed, wages fell and buying power decreased.

What did families do to survive the Great Depression?

The average American family lived by the Depression-era motto: “Use it up, wear it out, make do or do without.” Many tried to keep up appearances and carry on with life as close to normal as possible while they adapted to new economic circumstances. Households embraced a new level of frugality in daily life.