Research On American Labor Relations During Calvin Coolidge Government

The period of Calvin Coolidge Government not only is at "the Roaring Twenties" in American history, but also is "the economic prosperity" in American history. The thesis focusing on labor relations, objectively and comprehensively analyzes the American labor relations and the coordinating measures adopted by American society, and evaluates the framework of labor relations during this period. The aim of this thesis is expected to help learn from the useful experience of the coordination of labor relations, improve economic and society harmony, and promote social progress and development.The thesis is composed of three parts:the prelude, the main text and the conclusion.The first chapter briefly discusses the development of American labor relations before the stage of Calvin Coolidge Government, is mainly divided into three stages: the stage before the industrial era, the early stage of industrial society and the stage under the influence of World War I (WWI). This chapter analyzes and discusses the American labor relations during the early stage of the industrial society and the stage under the influence of WWI. The labor relations of this period experienced a relatively stable development period, relatively tense and conflicting period and the conversion period which changed from the relative alleviation of tension to conflict and turmoil.The chapters which include from second to sixth, explore in detail the measures adopted by the parties of labor relations which coordinated labor relations during the period of Calvin Coolidge Government.According to the national system of separation of powers principle in the United States, the author follows the order of the legislation, executive and judicial, permeates the main line of the directly opposite side of the employers and employees, expounds a series of legislative activities on labor relations taken by the American Congress, which mainly include Immigration Law, the Railway Labor Act, Compensation Law and Retirement Law, and so on. Although the MacNary-Haugen Bill which aimed to coordinate agricultural labor relations was not passed, some significant laws were enacted to hold all parties of American labor relations accountable and promote the coordination mechanism for labor relations that gradually embarked on a legal track; discusses the capital, especially large companies taking a series of specific measures to coordinate labor relations, which mainly include the application of scientific management methods, continuing to promote the open shop, encouraging and stimulating consumption and welfare capitalism, and so on. These measures manifest not only the game between capital and labor, but also the national coordination mechanism of labor relations participated by employers; discusses the measures of Calvin Coolidge Government to coordinate labor relations, which mainly include the intervention in the public service of the United States, guiding the infrastructure construction, concerning about social problems such as child labor and women labor, actively supporting labor vocational education especially active intervention of the Labor Department in the mediation and arbitration of labor relations. These measures fully reflects that the Calvin Coolidge Government is a responsible government and brings into a full play of mediator and arbiter role of labor relations, which also indirectly overturn the traditional impression of the Calvin Coolidge Government’"laissez-faire"; discusses the ways and methods in which labor coordinate labor relations. In addition to going on strikes, labor still coordinate labor relations by political road, Congress road, cooperative road with farmers as well as relatively harmonious way, which diversifies the channels to help labor protect self-interests, therefore the labor relations ease up. During this period during labor itself there were struggles concerning different ways and methods in which labor coordinated labor relations. The labor population rapidly grew, in contrast with the dramatic decreasing of labor union. The decline of trade unions provided all different parties of the state an opportunity to intervene in labor relations; analyzes American Taft Court underwent judicial reforms and improved judicial efficiency, adhered to the conservatism. The court system coordinated labor relations with these " weapons" which chiefly include the doctrine of due process, injunction and yellow dog contract. These activities enabled the court to display the "stable" role in building the relative calm and equilibrium of labor relations, and explained the mechanisms of the United States coordinating labor relations gradually embarked on a legal track. In the cases during this period, the court although standing by the employers adjudicated many typically verdicts favoring the employers, it supported some judgments which were in favor of labor in order to defend the authority of the Constitution and the laws. These activities illustrate that the conservative forces which dominated in the American court system are cautious about the United States’tentative exploration of labor relations. Furthermore, these activities also showed that the court is the "patron saint" of the capitalist system.The seventh chapter briefly discusses the evolvement of American labor relations during and after all parties of American labor relations coordinated labor relations during Calvin Coolidge Government, mainly divided into two phases of labor relations:the one changed from tension to relaxation and the other of continuing to ease. During the period which American labor relations are from tension to relaxation, the tense of labor relations is manageable and labor disputes can be resolved through negotiation. But the power of American labor saw the relative decline while that employers showed upward tendency between unions and management. Calvin Coolidge Government attempted to intervene in labor relations, which means a new starting point for the country concerned about the labor relations. During the period which American labor relations continued to ease, the United States gradually improve "the tripartite coordination mechanism" which the labor, employer and the state (Parliament, Government and Courts) established and the coordinating labor disputes gradually embarked on the legal and regular track. The relative calm and equilibrium of labor relations were built by the United States are not perfect enable the American society to reach the status of "social equilibrium"The conclusion mainly looks at the future trends of American labor relations, discusses the cause of "Laisser-faire" impression left by Calvin Coolidge Government, points out that the Calvin Coolidge Government is "comparatively actual government" in American labor relations; points out that American labor, management and the state eventually built the "safety valve mechanism" which deals with labor disputes, once again examines the roles of the government, employers, trade unions, Congress and the court during the processes, points out that the contributions of social thought, the traditional religious ideas, and so on in the relative calm and equilibrium of labor relations; at last, points out what we may profit the lessons when we re-examine this period of labor relations.