Final answer:
Labor unions are groups of people in a trade or profession working together to protect their rights and further their interests. They advocate for better working conditions, higher pay, and benefits for workers.
Step-by-step explanation:
Labor unions are groups of people in a trade or profession working together to protect their rights and further their interests. They advocate for better working conditions, higher pay, and benefits for workers. Labor unions have played a significant role in history, fighting for better working conditions and negotiating with employers for improved wages and benefits.
For example, during the Great Depression, labor unions emerged as a response to changes in working conditions brought about by the Industrial Revolution. The labor laws that were established during this time legalized the labor movement and gave workers the right to form unions, engage in collective bargaining, and go on strike. Collective bargaining is a process in which the employer and union negotiate mutually agreeable terms and conditions for the workforce.
Despite challenges faced by labor unions, such as declining membership and the relocation of corporations to states hostile to unions, unions continue to advocate for workers' rights and better working conditions to this day.