| Year | Pres. | House | Senate | Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | R | R | R | |||
| 1903 | R | R | R | Department of Labor created |
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| 1904 | R | R | R | We favor arbitration of differences between corporate employers and their employees and a strict enforcement of the eight hour law on all Government work. | ||
| 1908 | R | R | R | The expanding organization of industry makes it essential that there should be no abridgement of the right of wage earners and producers to organize for the protection of wages and the improvement of labor conditions | the Republican party pledges its continued devotion to every cause that makes for safety and the betterment of conditions among those whose labor contributes so much to the progress and welfare of the country. | |
| 1911 | R | D | R | Triangle Waist Co. fire | ||
| 1912 | R | D | R | We pledge the Democratic party, so far as the Federal jurisdiction extends, to an employees’ compensation law providing adequate indemnity for injury to body or loss of life. | ||
| 1913 | D | D | D | Dept. of Labor established | ||
| 1914 | D | D | D | Clayton Anti-Trust Act. Limited use of injunctions in labor disputes and providing that picketing and other union activities are not illegal conspiracies or trusts |
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| 1916 | D | D | D | We favor the creation of a Federal Bureau of Safety in the Department of Labor, to gather facts concerning industrial hazards, and to recommend legislation to prevent the maiming and killing of human beings. | We favor vocational education, the enactment and rigid enforcement of a Federal child labor law; the enactment of a generous and comprehensive workmen’s compensation law, within the commerce power of Congress, and an accident compensation law covering all Government employees. | |
| 1920 | D | R | R | Laws regulating hours of labor and conditions under which labor is performed, when passed in recognition of the conditions under which life must be lived to attain the highest development and happiness, are just assertions of the national interest in the welfare of the people. . . We urge co- operation with the states for the protection of child life through infancy and maternity care; in the prohibition of child labor and by adequate appropriations for the Children’s Bureau and the Woman’s Bureau in the Department of Labor. | We recognize the justice of collective bargaining as a means of promoting good will, establishing closer and more harmonious relations between employers and employees and realizing the true ends of industrial justice. . . The Republican party stands for a Federal child labor law and for its rigid enforcement. | |
| 1924 | R | R | R | We favor collective bargaining and laws regulating hours of labor and conditions under which labor is performed. . . In order to mitigate unemployment attending business depression, we urge the enactment of legislation authorizing the construction and repair of public works be initiated in periods of acute unemployment. | We commend congress for having recognized this possibility in its prompt adoption of the recommendation of President Coolidge for a constitutional amendment authorizing congress to legislate on the subject of child labor, and we urge the prompt consideration of that amendment by the legislatures of the various states. | |
| 1928 | R | R | R | We favor the principle of collective bargaining, and the Democratic principle that organized labor should choose its own representatives without coercion or interference. | The Party favors freedom in wage contracts, the right of collective bargaining by free and responsible agents of their own choosing, which develops and maintains that purposeful co-operation which gains its chief incentive through voluntary agreement. | |
| 1931 | R | R | R | Davis-Bacon Act. Provides for payment of prevailing wage rates to laborers and mechanics employed by contractors and subcontractors in public construction |
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| 1932 | R | R | R | We advocate the spread of employment by a substantial reduction in the hours of labor, the encouragement of the shorter week by applying that principle in government service; we advocate advance planning of public works. | Collective bargaining by responsible representatives of employers and employees of their own choice, without the interference of any one, is recognized and approved. | |
| 1935 | D | D | D | National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act), creates National Labor Relations Board. |
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| 1936 | D | D | D | We have increased the worker’s pay and shortened his hours; we have undertaken to put an end to the sweated labor of his wife and children; we have written into the law of the land his right to collective bargaining and self-organization free from the interference of employers; we have provided Federal machinery for the peaceful settlement of labor disputes. | Protect the right of labor to organize and to bargain collectively through representatives of its own choosing without interference from any source. | Walsch-Healey Act sets safety standards, minimum wage, overtime pay and child labor provisions on al federal contracts |
| 1937 | D | D | D | Steel workers organization sign collective bargaining agreement with US Steel |
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| 1938 | D | D | D | Fair Labor Standards Act. Created minimum wage, required overtime pay, and abolished child labor |
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| 1940 | D | D | D | We pledge to continue to enforce fair labor standards; to maintain the principles of the National Labor Relations Act; to expand employment training and opportunity for our youth, older workers, and workers displaced by technological changes; to strengthen the orderly processes of collective bargaining and peaceful settlement of labor disputes; and to work always for a just distribution of our national income among those who labor. | We shall maintain labor’s right of free organization and collective bargaining. | |
| 1944 | D | D | D | The Republican Party is the historical champion of free labor. . . The continued perversion of the Wagner Act by the New Deal menaces the purposes of the law and threatens to destroy collective bargaining completely and permanently. | ||
| 1947 | D | R | R | Taft-Hartley Act (over Truman’s veto), amends Wagner Act, reduces rights of workers to organizte labor unions. State right to work laws appear |
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| 1948 | D | R | R | We advocate the repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act. It was enacted by the Republican 80th Congress over the President’s veto. . . We favor the extension of the coverage of the Fair Labor Standards Act as recommended by President Truman, and the adoption of a minimum wage of at least 75 cents an hour in place of the present obsolete and inadequate minimum of 40 cents an hour. | Collective bargaining is an obligation as well as a right, applying equally to workers and employers; and the fundamental right to strike is subordinate only to paramount considerations of public health and safety. | |
| 1949 | D | D | D | Child labor prohibited to an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act |
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| 1952 | D | D | D | Good labor-management relations are essential to good incomes for wage earners and rising output from our factories. We believe that to the widest possible extent consistent with the public interest, management and labor should determine wage rates and conditions of employment through free collective bargaining. . . We strongly advocate the repeal of the Taft- Hartley Act. | we favor the retention of the Taft-Hartley Act | |
| 1956 | R | D | D | Harmonious labor-management relations are productive of good incomes for wage earners and conducive to rising output from our factories. We believe that, to the widest possible extent consistent with the public interest, management and labor should determine wage rates and conditions of employment through free collective bargaining. . . We commend the action of the Democratic 84th Congress which raised the minimum wage from 75 cents to $1.00 an hour despite the strenuous objection of President Eisenhower and the Republicans in Congress. However, the inadequacies of the minimum wage become apparent as the cost of living increases, and we feel it imperative to raise the minimum wage to at least $1.25 an hour, in order to approximate present-day needs more closely. | Extend the protection of the Federal minimum wage laws to as many more workers as is possible and practicable . . . Continue to fight for the elimination of discrimination in employment because of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry or sex | |
| 1960 | R | D | D | Thus the traditional goal of the Democratic Party—to give all workers the right to organize and bargain collectively—has still not been achieved. | Industrial harmony, expressing these mutual interests, can best be achieved in a climate of free collective bargaining, with minimal government intervention except by mediation and conciliation. | |
| 1964 | D | D | D | The coverage of the Fair Labor Standards Act must be extended to all workers employed in industries affecting interstate commerce, and the minimum wage level and coverage increased to assure those at the bottom of the economic scale a fairer share in the benefits of an ever-rising standard of American living. | restoration of collective bargaining responsibility to labor and management, minimizing third party intervention and preventing any agency of government from becoming an advocate for any private economic interest | |
| 1968 | D | D | D | Private collective bargaining and a strong and independent labor movement are essential to our system of free enterprise and economic democracy. Their development has been fostered under each Democratic administration in this century. | We support an equitable minimum wage for American workers—one providing fair wages without unduly increasing unemployment among those on the lowest rung of the economic ladder—and will improve the Fair Labor Standards Act, with its important protections for employees. | The Age Discrimination in Employment Act make it illegal to discriminate against people 40 to 65 years old |
| 1971 | R | D | D | OSHA enacted | ||
| 1972 | R | D | D | Free private collective bargaining between management and independent labor unions has been, and must remain, the cornerstone of our free enterprise system. America achieved its greatness through the combined energy and efforts of the working men and women of this country. | We of the Republican Party reaffirm our strong endorsement of Organized Labor’s key role in our national life. | |
| 1976 | R | D | D | Over a generation ago this nation established a labor policy whose purpose is to encourage the practice and procedure of collective bargaining and the right of workers to organize to obtain this goal. The Democratic Party is committed to extending the benefit of the policy to all workers and to removing the barriers to its administration. | Free collective bargaining remains the best way to insure that American workers receive a fair price for their labors. | |
| 1980 | D | D | D | Over a generation ago this nation established a labor policy whose purpose is to encourage the practice and procedure of collective bargaining and the fight of workers to organize to obtain this goal. The Democratic Party is committed to extending the benefit of this policy to all workers and to removing the barriers to its administration. | We reaffirm our commitment to the fundamental principle of fairness in labor relations, including the legal right of unions to organize workers and to represent them through collective bargaining consistent with state laws and free from unnecessary government involvement. We applaud the mutual efforts of labor and management to improve the quality of work life. | |
| 1981 | R | D | R | Reagan fires air traffic controllers for striking |
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| 1984 | R | D | R | It is destructive of labor-management relations when concessions extracted from labor to preserve jobs are converted after the restoration of profitability, into management bonuses, rather than restoring the concessions that the workers made. Such practices offend our sense of fairness, as does the Reagan Administration-inspired union-busting. Essential to fairness in the workplace is the basic right of workers to organize collectively. | We reaffirm the right of all individuals freely to form, join, or assist labor organizations to bargain collectively, consistent with State laws and free from unnecessary government involvement. We support the fundamental principle of fairness in labor relations. We will continue the Reagan Administration’s “open door” policy toward organized labor and its leaders. We reaffirm our long-standing support for the right of States to enact “Right-to-Work” laws under section 14(b) of the Taft-Hartley Act. | |
| 1988 | R | D | D | with all workers assured the protection of an effective law that guarantees their rights to organize, join the union of their choice, and bargain collectively with their employer, free from anti-union tactics. | We affirm the right of all freely to form, join or assist labor organizations to bargain collectively, consistent with State laws. Labor relations must be based on fairness and mutual respect. We renew our long-standing support for the right of States to enact “Right- to-Work” laws. | |
| 1992 | R | D | D | Government’s neutrality between labor and management cannot mean neutrality about the collective bargaining process, which has been purposely crippled by Republican administrations. Our economic growth depends on processes, including collective bargaining, that permit labor and management to work together on their common interests, even as they work out their conflicts. | We affirm the right of individuals to form, join, or assist labor organizations to bargain collectively, consistent with State laws. We support the right of States to enact Right-to- Work laws. | |
| 1996 | D | R | R | We oppose the hiring of permanent workers to replace lawful economic strikers; we support the President’s action to stop the government from procuring goods and services from companies that do so; and we support legislation to prohibit the permanent replacement of lawfully striking workers. We believe in equal pay for equal work and pay equity. | Congressional Republicans have already launched a fight against the union bosses’ ban on flex-time and comp-time in private industry. Those innovations are especially important to families with children. Government has no business forbidding America’s workers to arrange their schedules to suit the needs of their own families. . . We affirm the right of individuals to participate in labor organizations and to bargain collectively, consistent with State laws. Because that participation should always be voluntary. we support the right of States to enact Right-to-Work laws. | |
| 2000 | R | R | R | From the Industrial Age to the Information Age, unions have given working people the chance to improve their living standards and have a voice on the job. The Clinton-Gore Administration stopped the Team Act, defeated a national right-to-work law, and fought for the resources to enforce worker protections. Al Gore will protect our wage and hour laws, including the forty-hour workweek and overtime requirements, and stand firm in support of the Davis-Bacon act and the Service Contract act. | We affirm the right of individuals to voluntarily participate in labor organizations and to bargain collectively. We therefore support the right of states to enact Right-to-Work laws. No one should be forced to contribute to a campaign or a candidate, so we will vigorously implement the Supreme Court’s Beck decision to stop the involuntary use of union dues for political purposes. | |
| 2004 | R | R | R | We will ensure that the right to organize a union exists in the real world, not just on paper, because that’s how we create more jobs that can support families. That means reforming our labor laws to protect the rights of workers (including public employees) to bargain contracts and organize on a level playing field without interference. | We affirm the time-honored right of individuals to voluntarily participate in labor organizations and to bargain collectively. We also believe that no American should be coerced into an association they do not wish to join. And no one should be kept out of a job for which they are qualified simply because they choose to remain independent of labor unions. We therefore support the right of states to enact Right-to-Work laws. | |
| 2008 | R | D | D | That is why we support the right to organize. We know that when unions are allowed to do their job of making sure that workers get their fair share, they pull people out of poverty and create a stronger middle class. We will strengthen the ability of workers to organize unions and fight to pass the Employee Free Choice Act. . . We will continue to vigorously oppose “Right-to- Work” Laws and “paycheck protection” efforts whenever they are proposed. | Republicans believe that the employer- employee relationship of the future will be built upon employee empowerment and workplace flexibility. . . We affirm both the right of individuals to voluntarily participate in labor organizations and bargain collectively and the right of states to enact Right-to- Work laws. But the nation’s labor laws, to a large extent formed out of conflicts several generations ago, should be modernized to make it easier for employers and employees to plan, execute, and profit together. | |
| 2012 | D | R | D | Because the President and the Democratic Party believe in the right to organize and in supporting America’s workers with strong labor laws, the President rolled back harmful labor policies designed to undermine collective bargaining rights. . . We oppose the attacks on collective bargaining that Republican governors and state legislatures are mounting in states around the country. . . Democrats believe that the right to organize and collectively bargain is a fundamental American value; every American should have a voice on the job and a chance to negotiate for a fair day’s pay after a hard day’s work. We will continue to fight for the right of all workers to organize and join a union. Unions helped build the greatest middle class the world has ever known. | We will restore the rule of law to labor law by blocking “card check,” enacting the Secret Ballot Protection Act, enforcing the Hobbs Act against labor violence, and passing the Raise Act to allow all workers to receive well-earned raises without the approval of their union representative. . . We support the right of States to enact Right-to-Work laws and encourage them to do so to promote greater economic liberty. Ultimately, we support the enactment of a National Right-to-Work law to promote worker freedom and to promote greater economic liberty. | |
| 2016 | D | R | R | We believe that Americans should earn at least $15 an hour and have the right to form or join a union and will work in every way we can—in Congress and the federal government, in states and with the private sector—to reach this goal. We should raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour over time and index it, give all Americans the ability to join a union regardless of where they work, and create new ways for workers to have power in the economy so every worker can earn at least $15 an hour. | We intend to encourage those trends by bringing labor law into the 21st century. It should encourage cooperation between management and workers, not conflict. All workers, including union members, must be free to accept raises and rewards without veto power from union officials. All unionized workers should be able to find out what is going on in their union trust funds and in their executive compensation. We support the right of states to enact Right-to-Work laws and call for a national law to protect the economic liberty of the modern workforce. | |
| 2020 | R | D | R | We know that strong American labor unions help increase wages and job standards for workers across the economy, which is why Democrats will prioritize passing the PRO Act and restoring workers’ rights, including the right to launch secondary boycotts. We will repeal so-called “right to work” laws that undermine worker power and lead to lower wages and less protection for workers across the economy, and ensure those who have been left without wage and hour protections for decades—including domestic workers and farmworkers—have the same rights as other workers. | ||
| 2024 | D | R | D | Democrats will keep fighting to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, to give everyone the right to organize for better pay, benefits, and working conditions, and to hold abusive bosses accountable for violating workers’ rights. We oppose state right-to- work laws, which drive down wages and leave workers unsafe; and we support penalizing employers who engage in union busting. We’ll work to pass the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, guaranteeing public sector bargaining rights; and to codify a right to organize for domestic workers, farm workers, and other unprotected laborers. Democrats will continue to create strong labor standards for jobs created with taxpayer dollars through legislation and with strong Buy American rules. Consistent with the law, we will ensure that federal grants and other assistance to employers are contingent on recipients committing to not interfering with workers’ efforts to form a union. |