employee paying for medical. Daniel Mills tells us in, Labor Relations, "employees cannot afford to make contributions or pay deductibles. Employees should be encouraged to get health care, not given incentives to avoid it." (552) Working Conditions In the turn of the century the working conditions of the American worker were appalling compared to today's standards. Child Labor was accepted as evidenced in the Coal Mines and sweat shops of Pennsylvania and New York. There were no guidelines or regulations defining acceptable work hours or duration. Safety in the work place was governed at the whim of the employer. Federal laws were implemented in an attempt to eliminate these abuses inflicted by non scrupulous management. Unions would argue that regulations are not enough to deter these abuses. The unions are the mechanism by which these well intentioned regulations are enforced. The unions are the whistle blowers who police the regulations governing the work place. Without union representation, these blatant violations of law would be a constant. The garment industry, utilizing poor immigrant workers, is a prime argument for the need of present day union representation. OSHA, the government agency established to oversee safety conditions at work locations, is being scrutinized by federal regulators. The AFL/CIO news reports congress is pursuing making OSHA a consulting organization rather than a regulatory one. Unions view themselves as a strong lobbying force which will fight this latest trend. Management Approach Corporations and the management teams that run them, exist for the primary purpose of making a profit. These corporations are not social entities who exist for the betterment of there work force. Rather they are business entities that exist for the financial betterment of the owners and share holders. The interest of the business in many cases goes against the interest of the union. One is concerned about maximizing profits ...
