BUSINESS 315 – As the labor movement grew, the structure of labor unions
As the labor movement grew, the structure of labor unions became more complex. Unions generally are considered to have a three-tier structure – local level which generally is a single-employer unit, the national level that generally operates within a specific occupation or industry, and the federation of national unions. There are variations – for example, in the construction industry, the local level of the union may deal with many employers within specific geographic area. It has been argued that the hierarchical structure of the unions has hurt unions by limiting the participation of members in the union’s governance. Others see the structure of unions as a natural reaction to the hierarchical structure of American business.Given your understanding of union structure and governance, identify one positive outcome and one negative outcome that can be attributed to the structure. What recommendation would you make to enhance the positive outcome and/or minimize the negative outcome? You must provide support for your response by referencing information in the textbook or other academic source.