Occupational Safety and Health Administration Logs

Why do we need unions since we have a U.S. Dept. of Labor?

Both on the national and on many state levels. The Dept. of Labor has eight major specialized divisions: the Bureau of International Labor Affairs, the Employment and Training Administration, the Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, the Employment Standards Administration, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Veterans' Employment and Training Service. A ninth division, the Office of the American Workplace, established in 1993, was terminated when congress failed to provide the necessary appropriations. The Bureau of International Labor Affairs deals with the interaction among U.S. foreign policy, foreign labor developments, and U.S. labor developments. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, a direct descendant of the 1884 Bureau of Labor, gathers data in the field of labor economics. The agencies of the Employment Standards Administration administer federal labor legislation and the administration conducts research to support their programs; the agencies (and the legislation they administer) include the Wage and Hour Division (minimum wage and fringe benefits) and the Office of Worker's Compensation Programs (compensation for job-related injuries). The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is responsible for ensuring the best possible U.S. working conditions in terms of safety and health. The Women's Bureau promotes the employment, efficiency, and welfare of wage-earning women. http://www.answers.com/topic/united-states-department-of-labor http://www.dol.gov/

Public Comments

1. I would ask the opposite question. Why bother with a Dept. of Labor if we have unions? Get rid of it and cut our taxes!
2. I've been wondering that for a while. Unions are corrupt and the National Socialist Democratic Party are beholden to them because the unions give so much money to them. Unions destroy businesses and do not have the workers best interests in mind.
3. i agree unions should be stopped.only reason for unions was the mob created them.not to many mobsters still left.some.the whole reason the car people having problems is there workers probably making 40 dollars an hour
4. No government bureaucracy can replace collective bargaining.
5. Since when does the Department of labor collectively bargain for pay and benefits? If you keep your employees happy, you don't have to worry about Unions. You people will never earn enough money to make you happy, only exploitation and control does that for you. That is why you are always railign against them. the more money your employee has the more product you sell. That is more profit, even if it isn't all made on one item. Sounds like the rich want to do less and less for each penny and demand that the middle class and poor do more and more. The reaosn you hate unions so much, is you already know your employees have reason to hate you.
6. Because Unions are the best way to bankrupt companies and destroy shareholder wealth.
7. I agree with you. Unions had their need in time and that time has passed.
8. We need unions to protect us from Dept of Labor. We still need checks and balances in this country, otherwise we would be a third would country, like Mexico
9. I don't think we do need them anymore. They had a function at one time to protect the workers, and it was needed as companies were destroying the working class. But today with all the other rules and regulations, they are actually hurting more businesses than helping. Prevailing Wage? Come on! Plus why should everyone be treated equal at work? A good worker should get a better raise that a half-tard that just shows up and does the minimum knowing you can't get rid of him. Plus in my experience they rarely protect the workers interests, only the higher ups in the organization.
10. The department of labor can't get you a raise unless the federal government raises it. The labor unions will get you better benefits and wages. The crux of the unions are when they are poorly managed(like the auto industry). If the auto industry would take a lesson from the health care unions they would know how to be fair to the employees and employers. Unions are better that none for this very simple reason. (employers CAN NOT fire you for anything, all meeting are done with a rep there is no he said she said business) makes peoples lives much easier knowing they won't lose their job over some supervisor that doesn't like you.
11. We don't need either of them anymore. Let the businesses run themselves. Give them some oversight, but not much. Businesses usually don't become successful due to the government, the government usually becomes successful due to businesses. It should not be the Union's responsibility to get you a raise people! It is your own responsibility to earn a raise. My income has increased 344% in the past 8 years by working my tail off, not by some criminal organization forcing my bosses to give me raises. I have earned every one of them.
12. The Dept of Labor does not micro-manage individual businesses. The ability to form unions is a Right - protected via Free Speech and nothing in the Constitution precludes folks from forming groups that serve to protect their best interests. Please consider that Unions came about in response to rampant and unchecked capitalism (in fact GOP Teddy Roosevelt was a "Trust Buster" for this reason, too). They are a necessary Check and Balance to business, but, just like businesses they need to be regulated. Further, their importance and power is cyclical, but this does not suggest that Unions ought to be eliminated at all. In fact, they probably need further regulation via the Dept of Labor at this point in time.
13. The reason that we still have unions today is to protect mediocre workers from being replaced with people who are willing to work. What is funny, is that some professionals are unionizing more such as Professors at college campuses like ten year is not enough for them.
14. Unions are left over from the days before there was any oversight on worker safety. Today with federal and state OHSA, labor boards, etc they are unneeded.
15. Because the government is owned by the corporations. It's the sound of one hand clapping. We'd all be working for $3.00/hr.
16. Easy. Unions are "trade-specific" (sheet metal worker's union, electrician's union, auto worker unions, etc.), where the dept. of labor's responsibilities cover all the jobs, employers, employees in the country. Unions, though imperfect, are able to more adequately address the needs of the people in the specific trades they represent than government ever could.
17. I have given this careful thought. We need to get rid of all of these departments and the unions, and start all over. I think all government agencies and departments should have a seven year shelf life. If they were really beneficial, some congressman would bring them back. If not they would fall by the wayside.
18. Well, Lordy Mercy chile, where else can administrators (union officials) made wads of moo-la from the labor of others. Where else other than a union run company can one earn more as a blue collar, unskilled worker than a college graduate. Unions are what have gotten the automakers in a big portion of the trouble they are now having. Those who belong to unions don't have to earn their salaries, they expect to be paid for doing a lot of nothing. I have been on both sides of the union vs non-union jobs and the non-union jobs were much more efficient and cost effective than the union jobs. Its time for the unions to step completely out of the picture.
19. We dont need unions, they have overstayed there welcome, just like Affirmative action, NAACP, and the ACLU!!!!!