Final answer:
Labor unions, traditionally known for striking, have also utilized methods like sit-down strikes, collective bargaining, and legal channels to press for workers' rights. John L. Lewis and the Congress of Industrial Organizations were instrumental in these efforts, demonstrating innovative tactics and strategies in the labor movement.
Step-by-step explanation:
Union Alternatives to Strikes
Labor unions have historically employed various strategies beyond striking to achieve their goals. Leaders like John L. Lewis played significant roles in advancing the labor movement. Lewis helped to create the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), which became a powerful federation advocating for workers' rights.
Innovative tactics used by unions included the sit-down strike, as demonstrated by the United Auto Workers at General Motors. This method was notably successful and did not result in government intervention. Instead, GM was compelled to negotiate, leading to a contract that improved pay and benefits for workers.
Alternatives to direct action like strikes also included collective bargaining, which became federally supported under the Wagner Act. The United Mine Workers under Lewis's leadership, for example, showcased a new level of labor militancy by pushing for the organization of unskilled and semiskilled workers.
In addition to strikes and collective bargaining, labor unions made use of legal channels and arbitration during times when strikes were not as prevalent or feasible. However, reliance on legal strategies in the 1950s was seen by some as a sign of complacency within the AFL-CIO leadership.