Labor unions began in the United States in the beginning of the 19th century in order to
give poor workers a fighting chance for basic rights. Most of these immigrant workers
were required to work long hours while receiving low pay and unsafe working conditions.
Forming a labor union gives a group of workers a strategic and competitive advantage
when negotiating for better contract terms. Sometimes when both parties fail to come to an
agreement on the terms and conditions of a contract, a strike is imminent if groups of
workers are in a labor union. This results in the labor union workers not being paid while
the strike is going on but is a strategic advantage to them because the company they work
for will lose a significant amount of revenue when groups of workers stop working all at
once. In relation to South Eastern Public Transportation Authority (SEPTA) service, it is a
massive impact to the city of Philadelphia’s residents and workers being able to get to their
destinations in a timely manner. The loss of transit service is a detrimental to employers in
the city as well. If employees are unable to get to their jobs it could potentially result in a
loss of revenue for the company he or she employed to. Students that are going to school
will be unable to show up to class, take exams, hand in homework, or participate in
extra-curricular activities after school. Labor unions are the voice for many people in our
