The Impact of Collective Bargaining on Teacher’s Rights and
Children’s Rights– What is Fair? There is no denying the crucial
role of unions in labor history, particularly in the United
States. Unions helped workers overcome deplorable and unfair
conditions early in the 20th century, improving nationwide
treatment of the workforce. The Catholic Church, always the
champion of the downtrodden, has also made numerous statements
in support of unions and of the rights of workers. This includes
a recent statement by Archbishop Listecki of the Archdiocese of
Milwaukee, in February 2011. Historically, when
industrialization placed too much power in the hands of
employers, unions restored some of that power to workers,
preventing worker abuse. We can thank unions for improving the
health of the employee-worker relationship, and for numerous
workplace benefits which restore justice and improve family
life, including the now permanent concept of “weekend.” Is the
employer-worker relationship healthy and just in 2011? In