Week 1 Project

Evolution of the Labor Relations Movement

The labor relations movement can be evaluated from the late 1700s to 2009 with the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. With the multitude of labor laws, an HR manager can stay well informed. One interesting group to consider is the Knights of Labor (KOL). In the 1800s, this group was formed as a secret society by Uriah S. Stephens because he believed the employers would terminate the employees for working together for a common cause. For thirteen years, this society remained hidden while maintaining a national presence. The membership rose to 700,000 without the aid of technology that unions experience today.

Knights of Labor (KOL): Journey Review each button to learn more.

According to Holley, Ross, and Wolters (2017), the main objectives of the KOL were to:

Change the existing labor–management relationship so that the depersonalized and specialized aspects of mass production could be avoided.

Attain moral betterment for employees and the society. (p. 52)

KOL was very clear about the action required to move the organization forward:

Take political action.

Encourage consumers to purchase businesses or create their own business.

Avoid using strike as a way to accomplish a common goal.

Educate members on the industrial system.

Evolution

Highlights

Success

Downfall

With all of the great intent of KOL, the organization eventually crumbled. What happens when leaders fail to embrace change or believe their actions are justi�ed and unstoppable? Here are a few examples that led to the fall of KOL:

The age of technology could be contained.

It failed to understand the employer-employee relationship.

All employees held the same work-related beliefs.

There was an absence of legislation.

The leaders were unable to identify with the goals that were important to the members.

Additional Materials

From your course textbook The Labor Relations Process, read the following chapter:

The History of Labor-Management Relations

From the South University Online Library, review the following article:

Organized Labor in the United States: Past, Present, and Future  (https://www.thecampuscommon.com/library/ezproxy/ticketdemocs.asp? sch=suo&turl=http://search.ebscohost.com.southuniversity.libproxy.edmc.edu/login.aspx? direct=true&db=ent&AN=83525070&site=eds-live)

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