Child Labor In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

President Franklin Roosevelt’s Wagner Act, also known as the National Labor Relations Act addressed relations over the right to unionize between employer and employee. Since President Roosevelt enacted the law in 1935, the battle between the “right to work” and unionization continues to present an issue amongst workers across the nation. The National Labor Relations Act protects unions and their members, as well as the right for employees to negotiate with their employers. However, legislation varies by state, with some states more sympathetic to the unions than others. Protection of unions by individual states fluctuates based on the salary of workers in the union or whether or not the state has a right-to-work policy or a closed shop policy. Rather than the general "right to work," unionization most adequately benefits the population as a whole since it raises annual wages for all workers, creates a safer working environment, and allows for better benefits.

One reason that the United States should enact a law requiring all states to enforce unionization is that all workers wages would rise. According to Economic Policy Institute in a study from 2003, union members annually make 20% more than their nonunion

The labor union in The Jungle advocates for child labor laws, shorter work hours, and safer working conditions. Many of the machines used to cut and package the meat cause great danger to the workers, causing them to miss work. Since there is no paid sick leave, workers lose their positions and become unemployed. At first, Jurgis sees these people as weak and undeserving of a job. As he starts to experience and understand the harshness and unfairness the workers battle each day, he then agrees to attend a meeting. He then convinces the members of his family to join the union and tries to convince other Lithuanian immigrants to join as