It seems as if the real problem was stubborness on the part of both the NRA and the private business owners. Looking back on this argument today, it is easy to see the importance of both sides complying with these acts.
On one hand, employers focused on maintaining their business by sustaining their prices and profits to prevent bankruptcy. On the other hand, the employees were fighting to maintain their standard of living. This conflict is still the classic labor debate. By allowing the formation of labor unions, the National Recovery Administration was filling the void that existed between these two groups. When the business owners became aware of the threat of strikes, they joined together to create industry-wide goals and set labor standards (Gordon 321). The principles that were established then continue to affect every American worker today.
There are many similarities that arise between unions during the 1930s and the unions of today. One of the major problems is the possibility of strikes shutting down production for an entire industry. Today, America has seen the effects first hand in various strikes. One of the most significant was in the recent airline workers strike. When the major airlines shut down their operations, they affected the lives of all Americans that rely on air travel to maintain their standard of living. During the time of the New Deal, every industry was needed to pull America out of Depression. When an industry such as the steel industry was shut down during this time, it created a ripple effect that hurt every portion of the economy. It was important that during this time, production was maintained in every industry. This was the NIRA's goal, but they were having a hard time maintaining the standards they had created. When union members realized the potential that their new rights gave them, they became confident in the fact that they could gain any concession they desired from their employer.