Unions are a tool for progressive change, or at least in theory. Many workers began organizing and forming unions in the late 19th century to protest for better working conditions. However, for many minority workers, including women, African Americans, and immigrants, unions have had the opposite effect and have been a form of repression. Unions often excluded these minority members from membership, leading to union segregation and unions protesting the very banning of minorities from work. The purpose of unions was to work to protect and expand workers' rights, but for many, they could not be included in these unions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayIn the late 19th century, many workers turned to unions to protest for better working conditions, so that “many workers in the industry were working seventy years later.” weeks without pension, compensation for injuries or protection against unemployment.” Workers of the era worked long hours in dangerous and unprotected environments. As a result, unions hopefully represented a means of improving these conditions. However, for many, membership in these unions was prohibited. For example, one notable union, "the American Federation of Labor (AFL), in the 1880s often excluded women (as well as blacks and many immigrants) from membership – until the 1940s." The AFL was not a small local union. It was a major organization in the United States, at one time numbering more than “1,750,000 adult members” (Baker 74). The AFL is a large-scale example of the many unions that barred minorities, often those who were not white or male, from union membership. Union members, white men, were able to access the opportunity to create better working conditions for themselves, which equated to better health and financial status. Some unions based membership on the basis of skilled versus unskilled labor, which was ultimately another regulation intended to limit membership to white Americans. Labor organizations maintained the exclusivity of membership by setting “high dues and membership open only to skilled craftsmen; they developed strong unions by excluding unskilled and low-wage workers” (Friedman 2). Membership was limited to those with better jobs, which allowed for more money that could be used to join these unions. Better opportunities and assistance were only open to those who already enjoyed economic stability, rather than those in unskilled jobs who constantly faced economic instability. However, "'new immigrants' and blacks were also less likely to access skilled jobs than were second- and third-generation immigrants and native whites." On the surface, limiting membership appeared to be based on job type and financial situation. However, this is actually another way of suppressing non-whites, since those in unskilled jobs were African Americans and immigrants. Not allowing people of color and other immigrants to join unions has prevented them from advancing financially.