...Industrial revolution left the poorer laborer classes in near complete economic, social, and political disarray. With the advent of factories, many men, women, and even children found themselves working grueling hours in horrid conditions for little pay. Workers also suffered a profound loss in their sense of identity; once proud craftsmen and women instead could only sell their labor, and with this change they also lost a measure of freedom. They no longer owned any means of production and couldn’t even decide their own working pace. As a result of the intense division of labor, the work of these laborers became more monotonous and degrading, to the point that women and children became ideal workers for their perceived ease of subordination....
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... Congress passed the Davis-Bacon Act in 1931 during the Great Depression. According to this act, a law was implemented that required governmental contractors to pay ‘prevailing wages’ on projects that it took on behalf of the federal government. The effect of this legislation was that more than 40 states adopted the ‘little Davis-Bacon Acts’ or ‘prevailing wage’ laws. This was then, but later on, many states repealed these statutes. Still, many states today, including Michigan, carry on with such laws that seem to have become obsolete from those Depression-days (Vedder 1997). This paper shall attempt to take a closer look as to what the implications of implementing such laws are, with scrutiny of these laws as enacted in the state of Michigan. Various statistics shall be presented to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of using such laws in a state. The paper shall discuss the various issues that Michigan has faced in regards to these laws and will come up with some solutions and recommendations for the state of Michigan on whether it should continue to implement these rules or repeal from them. Many jurisdictions, including that of the federal government, set the prevailing wages exactly at or very near to those that are demanded by the laborers according to the union-scale. “Prevailing wage laws, then, force contractors on government construction or other projects to pay their employees at the same rate as unionized members of the relevant occupation—whether it be bricklayers...
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...Social Consequences of the Industrial Revolution Two significant social consequences of the First Industrial Revolution were working conditions in the factories and urban living conditions from the growth of cities. The Industrial Revolution of the 1700s was a time of drastic change and a major move towards technological and social and economic changes. Socially, this was a transfer from a largely rural population in which a livelihood from agricultural and artisan craftsmanship moved towards urban centers which engaged in factory manufacturing (Fitzgerald, 2000). This was the forefront to a new way of life. The Industrial Revolution grew out of the development of the Industrial Economy with the appearance of factories from the technological inventions in several areas such as mining, iron, chemicals, and steam power. It was steam power that drove a widespread growth of several areas in particular the textile industry. Out of this innovation a new concept of the industrialized factory was introduced to society. The factory would be largely responsible for the growth of urbanization as workers moved to these urban areas in search of employment at the new factories (Fitzgerald, 2000). Due to the urbanization of these cities, the infrastructure could not keep up with the population growth. These urban areas became inundated with people looking for work. Urban areas lacked decent housing, sanitary codes, education, and police protection. The densely packed and poorly constructed...
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...Prevailing Wages Introduction The U.S. Congress passed the Davis-Bacon Act in 1931 during the Great Depression. According to this act, a law was implemented that required governmental contractors to pay ‘prevailing wages’ on projects that it took on behalf of the federal government. The effect of this legislation was that more than 40 states adopted the ‘little Davis-Bacon Acts’ or ‘prevailing wage’ laws. This was then, but later on, many states repealed these statutes. Still, many states today, including Michigan, carry on with such laws that seem to have become obsolete from those Depression-days (Vedder 1997). This paper shall attempt to take a closer look as to what the implications of implementing such laws are, with scrutiny of these laws as enacted in the state of Michigan. Various statistics shall be presented to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of using such laws in a state. The paper shall discuss the various issues that Michigan has faced in regards to these laws and will come up with some solutions and recommendations for the state of Michigan on whether it should continue to implement these rules or repeal from them. Many jurisdictions, including that of the federal government, set the prevailing wages exactly at or very near to those that are demanded by the laborers according to the union-scale. “Prevailing wage laws, then, force contractors on government construction or other projects to pay their employees at the same rate as unionized members of...
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...(How) Should We Restrict Immigration Some of the rules in place for immigration need to remain in place, but in the instance of immigrant laborers who come to the United States for labor intensive seasonal work, there should be an easy way for them to acquire temporary or conditional working permits. The employers who "pull" them to the USA should be required to provide temporary housing with proper sanitation facilities. This housing should be offered free or at a nominal fee, since this is seasonal work and minimum wage can barely support a person, much less set up a household for the few months of growing season. At the same time we should strictly enforce the labor laws. No cheating. No paying substandard wages. No working people to their literal "death". No government turning a blind eye to mistreatment of workers. Speaking english well enough to answer a round of historical questions was a citizenship requirement for my mother in 1950 and as well for my friend from the Phillipines around 30 years ago. It's an important part of becoming a citizen -- people living in America must be able to understand simple things, read signs, etc.. Outside of becoming a citizen, it is very important for anyone coming the the United States to assimilate and accept local culture. This does not mean to suggest losing ethnic or cultural practices, rather, it means adhering to local customs and learning how people in the new community live, how they take care and function in the...
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...Prevailing Wages Introduction The U.S. Congress passed the Davis-Bacon Act in 1931 during the Great Depression. According to this act, a law was implemented that required governmental contractors to pay ‘prevailing wages’ on projects that it took on behalf of the federal government. The effect of this legislation was that more than 40 states adopted the ‘little Davis-Bacon Acts’ or ‘prevailing wage’ laws. This was then, but later on, many states repealed these statutes. Still, many states today, including Michigan, carry on with such laws that seem to have become obsolete from those Depression-days (Vedder 1997). This paper shall attempt to take a closer look as to what the implications of implementing such laws are, with scrutiny of these laws as enacted in the state of Michigan. Various statistics shall be presented to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of using such laws in a state. The paper shall discuss the various issues that Michigan has faced in regards to these laws and will come up with some solutions and recommendations for the state of Michigan on whether it should continue to implement these rules or repeal from them. Many jurisdictions, including that of the federal government, set the prevailing wages exactly at or very near to those that are demanded by the laborers according to the union-scale. “Prevailing wage laws, then, force contractors on government construction or other projects to pay their employees at the same rate as unionized members of...
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...Prevailing Wages Introduction The U.S. Congress passed the Davis-Bacon Act in 1931 during the Great Depression. According to this act, a law was implemented that required governmental contractors to pay ‘prevailing wages’ on projects that it took on behalf of the federal government. The effect of this legislation was that more than 40 states adopted the ‘little Davis-Bacon Acts’ or ‘prevailing wage’ laws. This was then, but later on, many states repealed these statutes. Still, many states today, including Michigan, carry on with such laws that seem to have become obsolete from those Depression-days (Vedder 1997). This paper shall attempt to take a closer look as to what the implications of implementing such laws are, with scrutiny of these laws as enacted in the state of Michigan. Various statistics shall be presented to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of using such laws in a state. The paper shall discuss the various issues that Michigan has faced in regards to these laws and will come up with some solutions and recommendations for the state of Michigan on whether it should continue to implement these rules or repeal from them. Many jurisdictions, including that of the federal government, set the prevailing wages exactly at or very near to those that are demanded by the laborers according to the union-scale. “Prevailing wage laws, then, force contractors on government construction or other projects to pay their employees at the same rate as unionized members of...
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...A Study on MGNREGA and its impact on wage and work relation BY ABHISHEK THAKUR SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK TATA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES DEONAR, MUMBAI-400 088 2011 A Study on MGNREGA and its impact on wage and work relation A Project Report Submitted to Academic Council of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master’s of Arts in Social Work By Abhishek Thakur School of Social work TATA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Deonar, Mumbai-400 088 2011 Dr. Manish K. Jha (Research Guide) Signature of Research Guide Date: 3rd March, 2011 Declaration I, Abhishek Thakur, hereby declare that this dissertation titled “A Study on MGNREGA and its impact on wage and work relation” is the outcome of my own study undertaken under the guidance of Dr. Manish. K. Jha, Associate Professor, Centre for Community Organization and Development, School of Social Work , Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. It has not previously formed the basis for the award of any degree, diploma or certificate of this institute or any other institute or university. I have duly acknowledged all the sources use by me in the preparation of this dissertation. Mr. Abhishek Thakur Date: 3rd March’ 2011 Certificate This is to certify that the dissertation titled “A Study on MGNREGA and its impact on wage and work relation” is the record of the original work done by Mr. Abhishek Thakur under my guidance. The results...
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...U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Problem-Specific Guides Series No. 44 Disorder at Day Laborer Sites by Rob T. Guerette www.cops.usdoj.gov Center for Problem-Oriented Policing Got a Problem? We’ve got answers! Log onto the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing website at www.popcenter.org for a wealth of information to help you deal more effectively with crime and disorder in your community, including: • Web-enhanced versions of all currently available Guides • Interactive training exercises • Online access to research and police practices • Online problem analysis module. Designed for police and those who work with them to address community problems, www.popcenter.org is a great resource in problem-oriented policing. Supported by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice. www.PopCenter.org Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Problem-Specific Guides Series Guide No. 44 Disorder at Day Laborer Sites Rob T. Guerette This project was supported by cooperative agreement #2004CKWXK002 by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions contained herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific companies, products, or services do not constitute endorsements from the author(s) or the Justice Department. Rather...
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... | Bangladesh’s Textile Industry Theoretically, free trade eliminates imposed governmental barriers to international trade. Expressively, free trade is a Pandora box of confusing issues addressing basic rights, international fiscal development, ecological principles and global employment formations (Chmielewski and Media, 2016). Chmielewski and Media (2016) implied that free trade was the best thing that could happen to Bangladesh’s textile industry. Free trade is an attempt to improve the international economy on the principle of “comparative advantage”. Bangladesh prospered by using their abundance of textile to trade for products that other countries have abundance. The main purpose of the “free trade” was to improve the global economy using the principle of “comparative advantage”. The shift to a free trade regime in the textile industry was good for Bangladesh’s employment and economic growth. Initially, textile products were exported through a preferential quota system from poor markets to rich markets but the shift accounted for lower labor cost, support from other industries, and increased business with western importers. Labor costs decreased to a level lower than China. Lower labor cost was due to low hourly wages and the use of technology. The use of technology increased productivity which allowed consumers to buy more for less money. Importers brought more textiles for less money during the recession. Free trade provided opportunities to build a strong sustainable...
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...Sentiments” to “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations” Adam Smith showed that he was a leading mind in the field of political economy and for that matter human nature. He is able to explain a variety of economic influences based on his overlying concept of rational self-interest in a free-market economy. But just like any other great mind revered in history they all have to start somewhere, and his was in Scotland. Adam Smith was born and raised in Scotland in the year 1723. At the age of 14 years old he was admitted into the University of Glasgow on a scholarship. He studied moral philosophy there until he switched colleges and then attended Balliol College at Oxford. He graduated with an extensive knowledge of European literature and moral philosophy. Preceding his graduation from Oxford University he returned to his home country to give a series of lectures that contributed to him being elected as the first chair of logic in 1751 and subsequently the chair of moral philosophy in 1752 at Glasgow University. A few years later Adam Smith published “Theory of Moral Sentiments” which was well received by the general public and eventually allowed him to gain the duty of tutor to the future Duke of Buccleuch. After this Adam Smith left academia in 1764 to travel through France and other parts of Europe that led him to meet various great economic minds of the time. Nine years later He published one of the most well known works in economic thinking entitled...
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...coal mines and factories as cheap and unskilled laborers. These working children did not have time for their education. Injuries in the work place and diseases and sicknesses were prevalent. If the children tried to speak up they would be punished. With the push of the middle and upper class Child Labor Laws were put into effect. Children had to be nine years of age or older, they could only work a maximum of twelve...
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...The Japanese Experience: Pre and Post Internment Camp The Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor in December of 1941 caused the United States to not only declare war against Japan, but also to demand internment for anyone persons living in the United States that would be considered a national security threat, most of those people being Japanese-Americans. The Japanese experience has been altered by the policies and narrative of United States history. As waves of immigrants began to populate more of the West Coast, the growing frustration of California citizens allowed for the legal discrimination of most Asian Americans. Throughout their time in the U.S, there is a rich history attached to the Japanese experience. Among World War II, internment camps,...
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...sewing machines. The air is toxic and the environment squalid, yet these laborers toil for up to 65 hours a week (Lormand), piecing together goods that are bought by end consumers like you and I. Such a scene seems reminiscent of the mistreatment of industrial workers that was prevalent during the early 20th century. It is hard to believe then that in today’s day and age the manufacturing sector, primarily in backwards nations, has once again become synonymous with labor rights violations. This phenomenon is largely due to globalization, a movement that has led multinational corporations (MNCs) to invest in cheap labor available in emerging economies. The possibility of this investment has spurred local government to ease regulatory measures on labor rights to lure MNCs as well as pitted local manufacturers against each other in the spirit of competitive pricing. These actions have led to diminished standards in factories that have translated to issues like insufficient wages, forced overtime, suppression of free speech and a hazardous working environment. Some proponents of sweatshop labor argue that sweatshops bring about economic prosperity, even going so far as to say that the “simplest way to help the poorest Asians would be to buy more from sweatshops, not less” (Kershner). Increasingly, however, the consensus has shifted in support of the fact that employing the poor for “near subsistence wages...generates little self-sustaining economic development” (Moberg). The light...
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...take advantage and send their young children off to work to help gain a little more money. Children should be able to have fun and enjoy their childhood, not worry about making money for their family. Parents see how Guatemala’s workplaces do not enforce these labor laws seriously so they think they should not either. Child labor in Guatemala should be illegal to children under fourteen because many workplaces violate their child labor laws by putting young children in horrible working conditions with low wages. Guatemala’s labor code sets the minimum age of fourteen for employment. The government can provide work permits to children under fourteen who have parental permission to work. They are also supposed to report how many people they have in their family and how much money is coming in so they can be allowed to have their children work. Usually that is not a problem because a big population in Guatemala is poor. In the article “Child Labor Entrenched in Guatemala Free Trade Pact Hasn’t Eased Plight of Kids” Lacey states, “Children younger than 14, who require parental permission to work, are supposed to work in apprenticeships appropriate for their age” (Lacey). Even though Guatemala’s labor code states what they are supposed to do, many workplaces violate these rules consistently. Child labor laws are not put into action in most workplaces in Guatemala, child labor should be illegal. Children do not understand what is going on around them like adults do so it is not right...
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