Answer:
1. Weekends as we know them wouldn’t exist: Union strikes in the early 20th century led to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which created federal worker protections like the 40-hour workweek.
2. Children would still be working in factories: For most of our history, there were no federal regulations on child labor. And during the Industrial Revolution, that meant instead of going to school, young boys and girls were often forced to work in factories for long hours—with heavy, dangerous machinery.
3. Wages would be lower: Unions are on the front lines fighting for rights like a minimum wage, paid sick leave, and overtime pay—and research shows the sheer presence of unions also leads to higher wages for Americans. This means that when unions negotiate higher wages, they aren’t just improving the quality of life for their membership—they’re setting a higher wage standard for nonunion workers as well.
Explanation:
The National Labor Union was created in 1866 to convince Congress to limit the workday for federal employees to eight hours, but the private sector was much harder for unions to penetrate. The continual flood of immigrants coming into the country further diluted the workforce, and the price of labor declined as a result.
