The roots of our country's trade unions extend deep into the early history of America. Several of the Pilgrims arriving at Plymouth Rock in 1620 were working craftsmen. Captain John Smith, who led the ill-fated settlement in 1607 on Virginia's James River, pleaded with his sponsors in London to send him more craftsmen and working people.
19th-Century Origins
While its roots go as far back as the 1820s, the U.S. labor movement remained largely unorganized until Samuel Gompers was elected president of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1886. The late 19th century saw strikes among unions across several industries, including mine workers, iron and steel workers, and carpenters. Although unions often met violent opposition from employers, their bargaining power increased under the leadership of Gompers, who increased the union's membership into a powerful political force.
21st Century
Debate continues about the necessity and value of labor unions. Manufacturing News reported an Ohio State University study that concluded that unions represented a negative economic force by making U.S. labor less competitive, costing the U.S. economy $50 trillion over 60 years. On the other hand, a World Bank review presented a more favorable review of 1,000 studies on the impact of collective bargaining and unions, concluding that under the right conditions, high unionization rates can lead to lower unemployment, higher productivity and faster adjustment to economic events.
For the past forty years there has been a steady decline in both union membership and influence. There are several reasons for such a decline, the first having to do with employers keeping their bussines union-free. Some were active in their opposition and even hired consultants to devise legal strategies to combat unions. Other employers put workers on the management team by appointing them to the board of directors or establishing profit-sharing plans to reward employees The second reason for union decline is that new additions to the labor force have traditionally had little loyalty to organized labor. Because more and more women and teenagers are working and their incomes tend to be a family's second income, they have a proclivity towards accepting lower wages, thus defeating the purpose of organized labor.
References:
http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/Eco_Unionization.htm
http://www.ehow.com/about_6837086_history-american-labor-unions.html?ref=Track2&utm_source=ask
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