Final answer:
The NYC sheet metal union paid out thirteen million in compensation in 2015 due to legal settlements related to worker rights and protections.
Step-by-step explanation:
In 2015, the NYC's sheet metal union paid out thirteen million in compensation due to legal settlements. These legal settlements likely involved issues related to work conditions, overtime, parental leave, regulation of pensions, and other worker protections. Labor unions, including sheet metal unions, have traditionally used strategies like collective bargaining and strikes to leverage their unity and ensure fair treatment and safety for their members. When unions provide strong political support for laws aimed at protecting workers, sometimes paradoxically, the passage of these laws can make workers feel less need for unions. Major strikes, as seen historically, also demonstrate the power unions can wield in both securing worker rights and affecting industry outputs, such as the outcome of the 1959 Steel Strike.