Recent History of Labor Organization

Abstract

When rapid expansion of membership takes place, conflicts arise between new and old members, and there are attempts to develop new union structures, methods, and policies. All this occurred during the World War. More recently, the National Industrial Recovery Act brought about another of those rapid and spectacular periods of union expansion. That period of growth in membership came to an end in late 1934 and early 1935. It followed closely the creation and the destruction of the workers' faith in the capacity of the New Deal to protect them against discharge and discrimination when they joined the unions, and to give them support in their efforts to establish genuine collective bargaining. If the extension of the National Labor Relations Act to manufacturing industry is approved by the Supreme Court, there will be a new period of growth in union membership and power, though it is not probable that the second period will be so dramatic as that of 1933 and