Market Trends	Labor and Wages	The Paterson Silk Strike of 1913	Orgaized Labor	Labor Unions

ORGANIZED LABOR

A trade union or labor union is an organization of individuals associated through employment. These organizations may be comprised of individual workers, Professionals, past workers, or the unemployed. The most common, but by no means only, purpose of these organizations is "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment"

Over the last three hundred years, trade unions have developed into a number of forms, influenced by differing political and economic regimes. The immediate objectives and activities of trade unions vary, but may include:

 

-Collective bargaining: Where trade unions are able to operate openly and are recognized by employers, they may negotiate with employers over wages and working conditions.

-Industrial action: Trade unions may organize strikes or resistance to lockouts in furtherance of particular goals.

• Political activity: Trade unions may promote legislation favorable to the interests of their members or workers as a whole. To this end they may pursue campaigns, undertake lobbying, or financially support individual candidates or parties (such as the Labour Party in Britain) for public office.