Every working class is educated by unions. This is a significant and a necessity role that ensures that social workers are kept updated with their rights and freedom. The main intention of many labor unions is formally educates its esteemed members. In their educating, they enhance training language skills to workers who are migrants as well as presenting and preparing labor law seminars. However, there are hindrances in their work (Broeder, & Extra, 1999). Despite their tendencies, the union has unqualified members; therefore, it become difficult to lead radical social changes. We all know that the union duplicates the divisions that are in the working class.
For example, earlier on, we had unions that petitioned the government for legislation that would protect and prevent immigration, as well as their existing members. However, over time, there has been the influence from radical protestors and members that are unhappy since they are discriminated in the unions. However, the unions have forced those members to adapt as well as to be a wake (Sproule, 1971).
In addition, since the time of World War II there have been the establishments of human rights movements. The first radical activist that led all these unions was Martin Luther King. The main objectives of unions to begin were to oppose immigration shares and take action to support policies of quality and safe in the workplace.
In early 20th century, many trade unions lack support. As a result to this factor racial minority workers started to organize in Canada, as well as United States. Chinese Canadian Labor Movement was the leading minority group that would influence unions in Canada. This helped them to drive for incremental changes (Taylor, 2002). Therefore, they came into realization of benefits of improving wages to every social worker. There was a good example when there was a formation of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in United States in 1920s. The key objective of the union was to represent African American workers. This ended up being fruitful in overturning limited job classifications that restricted the promotion of African American workers to other railway jobs.
Afterwards, minority workers were able to join the mainstream labor movement since they gained their freedom and rights. However, the group lost steam and eventually they died out. Regardless of this shift in actions of trade unions and attitudes, forms of discrimination and racism remained to be a big threat (Broeder, & Extra, 1999). The minority, therefore, came into conclusion that they must take interest within the union movements by having presentation, participating in politics, policy formulation, as well as policy implementation.
After making this decision, minority groups such as women have always strived to take an active role in their groups. They engage themselves in either competitive or elective leadership positions so that they can rise to power and end the male domination. Additionally, they greatly contribute in policy formulation and implementation and this has particularly forced men to appreciate the role of women in such groups. However, with the current male chauvinism that exists in many societies, women are finding it continuously hard to air their grievances. Despite this, their unity is overwhelming and has successfully been able to solve the many challenges that surround them.
The representation, minority groups, would provide mouthpieces that would represent the interests that bare not well represented either via political parties or in the electoral process (Sproule, 1971). This helped them to pursue in exerting influence, therefore, narrowing issues that are focused. Although, the minority groups are neglected and exposed to unequal treatment as well as discrimination, they have a voice since unity is strength; therefore, by mobilizing its members the following can be put in action.
In political participation, minority groups recently have become increasingly important agent since they also exert influence precisely by mobilizing members via activities such as demonstrations, petitions or any other forms of political protest. This is well supported mostly by the young people who are attractive by such participation (Taylor, 2002). In policy formulation, although the minority is not known for policy making, however, this does not prevent them in participating in the policy making processes. By making it members to be vital, it makes some changes in policy formulation. This has made it easy for them to advance their interests in the union movement. Despite members of minority being elected they have accountability to participate in and influence policy process. In addition, after policy formulation there is policy implementation that the minority group extends beyond trying to shape policy and hence playing a role in setting policy into practice (Sproule, 1971).
In the Canada, there is an affirmative action policy that actively engaged in efforts to improve opportunities of every worker as well as protecting the rights and freedoms. The policy considers civil rights for any movement. Thus, the policy helps minority groups to have a voice that is well respected by any other union movement. The program is superior to compensate for eras of social, racial and economic oppression.
Additionally, women have appreciated the need for advocacy and are currently adapting it as a method of advancing their goals within the unions. Advocacy is a deliberate communication effort to coax decision makers at policy, planning, and management levels to implement necessary policies and appropriately apportion resources for a reason. The strength of unions is obvious and inevitable. According to Colgan & Ledwith (2000), “unions have become an important force of our time, and it has also succeeded in providing services and support for some women's immediate needs”. Women are continuously advocating that unions allocate resource to the most important activities or issues that need to be solved. In so doing, the women ensure that any of their colleagues that are in trouble is immediately liberated. They should express their commitment towards making the world a better place to live in.
The 21st century can be termed as a century of rapid technological advancement. Considering the prevalence of the mass media, particularly the social media, women should consider engaging other women through the media (Colgan & Ledwith, 2000). The current media greatly advocates for equal opportunities, gender equality and anti-racism. By using the media, women can reach a large group of people and transform the general society.
Alternatively, minority groups can use development support communication (DSC) to advance their interests. DSC is an organized utilization of suitable communication channels and techniques to inform, motivate, train and increase people's participation in development. There are many minority groups especially at the grassroots level that do not know how to alleviate themselves from the discrimination exercised by the society. Women groups should marshal all women, train them on their roles in the society, teach them their rights, and cultivate in them the mentality that they can perform even better than the men. Such inclusion will ensure that all women are working towards a common goal and it will therefore be easy to end male chauvinism. This will enable them to mobilize social support and community involvement. Women make up 51% of the population (Hunt & Rayside, 2000). Therefore, having more women in unions and community groups implies that women have more chances of connecting to the whole community and transform it.
Minority groups should also seek government intervention in extreme conditions (Taylor, 2002). Any form of injustices that exist within the union should be reported to the respective law bodies so that corrective action is taken. Every member in a union should be in a position to account for their actions and any transgression should as well be punished. Imposing damages on those who commit activities aimed at derailing the women’s efforts towards a just society will reduce the injustices in the unions. However, minority groups should not blindly take the policies that have been set by the government. They should participate in policy campaigning which will help in changing the policies that are not suitable. According to Colgan & Ledwith (2000), “Policy campaigning is goal-oriented advocacy in which civil society groups and coalitions aim to set the policy agenda rather than simply to monitor or respond to government policy making”. These campaigns draw on various tools and strategies including lobbying, protests, letter writing, public demonstrations and use of the internet. Although this might be hard and challenging, succeeding in the campaign will excite and empower the women further.
Women must learn to counter any force that might try to compromise their participation in unions. Hunt & Rayside (2000) states that women’s participation in unions is fragile and can easily be broken by the actual and perceived constraints imposed by their work, home and family. Since their participation is complex and dynamic, they must strive to uphold it and leave a good legacy. Allowing these forces to curtail their efforts will make them to continuously live in a devastating state and might never reach their goals in unions (Taylor, 2002).
In conclusion, the American tradition has nearly unlimited freedom of press, speech, associated assembly implies that nearly any purpose of reading expressed by an interest, notwithstanding however radical, is allowable a public airing. To be sure, the increasing centralization of the media since warfare II has created it harder for teams with fringe views to achieve a heavy hearing. However, this centralizing trend has been part counteracted by the open access granted to teams on the net (Broeder, & Extra, 1999). On the total, the yank free speech and public press traditions, which provide varied opportunities to publicize social issues and lay out positions on public policy, encourage cluster formation.
Additionally, women need to consider engaging all women in unions and adequately inform them of their rights, capability and their important role in the society. This can be attained by use of the rapidly growing social media, formulating better inclusion policies and by countering any force that threatens women’s’ participation in unions. They should simply devote more resources towards fighting the dominant male chauvinism. Being a combination of many states, Americans should embrace unity, harmony and learn to regard others as their equals rather than seeing them as minors. Women play an important role in the economic, social and political development of any society hence should adequately be involved in any constructive activities.
References
Broeder, P., & Extra, G. (1999). Language, ethnicity, and education: Case studies on immigrant minority groups and immigrant minority languages. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Colgan, F., & Ledwith, S. (2000). Diversity, identities and strategies of women trade union activists. Gender, Workd and Organization, 7, 4.).
Hunt, G., & Rayside, D. (2000). Labor union response to diversity in Canada and the United States. Industrial Relations : a Journal of Economy and Society, 39, 3.)
Sproule, W. (1971). Minority groups. Toronto: Maclean Hunter Learning Materials Co.
Taylor, D. M. (2002). The quest for identity: From minority groups to generation Xers. Westport, Conn: Praeger.
