美國的工會受法律認可為代表勞工利益的組織。工會行使集體協商權，為會員談判勞動條件、工資、福利；並監督、糾正雇主違法或違背勞動契約的管理行為，必要時以爭議行為作為談判籌碼。較大的工會還會透過政治遊說或競選，影響美國聯邦政府及各州政治人物的決策。
大多數美國的工會都是兩個大型工會聯盟的會員工會，分別是1955年成立的美國勞工聯合會-產業工會聯合會（AFL-CIO），與2005年自AFL-CIO分家的變革謀勝工會聯合會。兩者都主張自己代表美國和加拿大勞工的政治利益，積極從事政治遊說工作。其中，AFL-CIO特別關注全球貿易議題。
1983年時，美國的工會共有1,770萬名會員，工會組織率為20.1%；然而2013年卻僅剩1,450萬名會員，工會組織率僅有10.8%[1] 民營事業單位的工會組織率甚至僅有7%[2]，創下1932年來的最低紀錄。與其它國家相比，2013年時法國的工會組織率為7.7%、德國為18.1%、加拿大為27.1%，冰島更以85.5%的工會組織率冠居全球。[3]以統計數字而言，美國勞工參與工會的比例顯著偏低。美國的工會組織率與雖大幅滑落，但仍能透過群眾動員或跨領域結盟（例如與移民權益、貿易政策、健康照顧與維生工資等議題團體合作），對美國政治有一定程度的影響力。其中，美國的工會尤其關注各級政府因預算縮減，產生勞工退休金減少或延遲給付等問題。[4] 如有茶黨背景的共和黨籍威斯康辛州州長斯考特·沃克就曾透過刪減預算限制公部門工會的集體協商權。
21世紀的美國工會運動以公部門受僱者，如公務員、教師、消防員、警察、清潔隊員等勞工為主力。此外，工會會員不成比例地以年長、男性勞工居多，且以美國東北部、中西部及加州勞工為主。[5] 整體而言，一個美國工會若能掌握工作和勞動市場特性，平均而言能讓工會會員比非會員多10－30%工資[6]；而在工會組織率較高的州，其勞工比其它州份的勞工有較高的收入和生活水準。國際貨幣基金組織則進一步將美國的收入差距問題，歸因於美國整體的勞工運動與工會組織率衰退所致。[7][7][8][9][10]
19世紀中葉，工業革命對人類經濟、社會帶來巨大變革，勞資關係逐漸受到社會矚目，工會也隨之誕生。美國早期的工會誕生於南北戰爭之後，1880年代的勞動騎士團是美國最具影響力的勞工團體，但因組織鬆散、缺乏有效領導中心和組織目標不一致等因素，並受到資方和政府聯手打壓而解散。
1886年，龔帕斯創立美國勞工聯合會，創立時仍是不同職種的地方工會組成的鬆散團體，透過協調、支持勞工罷工發展茁壯，如今已是美國最具影響力的工會團體。
1930年代，美國第32任總統富蘭克林·德拉諾·羅斯福推行新政，其中《華格納法案》保障工會的組織權利，促使美國勞工擴大團結、提升組織率。因此，美國的工會在政治上多傾向民主黨，在羅斯福時期更加入新政聯盟，支持羅斯福勝選連任。
1946年，親商的保守派政治人物在選舉中大勝，美國國會在1947年通過共和黨籍參議員羅伯特·A·塔夫脫起草的《塔夫特-哈特萊法案》。該法案不只受到共和黨人支持，連多數民主黨人也贊成該法案；即使時任美國第33任總統的哈瑞·杜魯門動用否決權，仍遭跨黨派議員組成的保守聯盟推翻。[11]《塔夫特-哈特萊法案》禁止工會向候選人提供政治獻金、以「危害國家安全」之名提高工會發動罷工的門檻，並強迫工會除名有共產主義傾向的幹部（後美國最高法院裁定該條款違憲，不再適用）；因而遭到美國工運圈強力抵制，但仍無力回天。國會在1959年通過《勞資關係報告法》，要求美國各級工會需向美國勞工部繳交年度報告，以限制有犯罪前科者擔任工會管理職務，從而加強聯邦政府對國際卡車司機工會等工會的行政控制。[12][13]
美國的工會組織率在1954年達到高峰，為35%；而工會會員人數則以1979年最多，達2,100萬人。其後人數因民營部門工會組織不易逐年下滑。
- Labor federation competition in the United States
- Union affiliation by U.S. state
- Public-sector trade unions in the United States
歷史
- 美國勞動史
- 美國工會時間軸
- 工業關係委員會
- 因勞資爭議而去世的美國勞工列表
國際
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