Sixty years ago, employers were stereotyped as uncaring capitalists who treated employees with little dignity or respect. Supervisors were viewed as sexist bullies and feudal lords of the shop floor. Those holding positions of authority understood that harsh actions carried little consequence short of employee unionization. In 1955, very few laws curtailed employer excesses or afforded employees industrial due process. Employees, on the other hand, were viewed as respectful, hard-working folks who needed protection from their uncivil bosses.

These were just stereotypes, of course. There were many progressive employers and many disrespectful employees. Nevertheless, the reality in the 1950s was that union membership grew to 35 percent of the U.S. workforce because employees felt they needed protection from uncaring employers. By 1964, when Florida’s workforce was 14 percent unionized, Granville Alley Jr. (one of Florida’s most prominent management labor attorneys at that time) warned employers about the reasons employees joined unions. In a March 1964 article, Alley noted, “In every instance the cause of the unionization problem could be traced back to a failing on the part of top management. … You must develop your company’s reputation as a good place to work, where fair and honorable treatment prevails.”

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