--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Strong responsible unions are essential…" description: "\"Strong responsible unions are essential to industrial fair play. Without them the labor bargain is wholly one-sided.\" — Louis D. Brandeis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/louis-d-brandeis-5049_bargains_strong-responsible-unions-are-essential_1263773.png" --- # Strong responsible unions are essential to industrial fair… ![“Strong responsible unions are essential to industrial fair play. Without them the labor bargain is wholly one-sided.” quote by Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/louis-d-brandeis-5049_bargains_strong-responsible-unions-are-essential_1263773.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/louis-d-brandeis-5049_bargains_strong-responsible-unions-are-essential_1263773.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/louis-d-brandeis-5049_bargains_strong-responsible-unions-are-essential_1263773.png) > “Strong responsible unions are essential to industrial fair play. Without them the labor bargain is wholly one-sided.” [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Strong unions ensure balanced labor relations; without them, employers dominate negotiations, leading to unfair outcomes. **In simple terms:** Unions protect workers from one‑sided deals. Key Takeaway Support and strengthen unions. Themes labor rights fairness industrial relations collective bargaining economics Mood concerned optimistic Type persuasive informative When to use this quote - workplace negotiations - contract discussions - policy advocacy Key Concepts power balance worker protection social justice Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards prevent union excess? - How can fairness be maintained without unions? A Different Perspective Union power can be misused, leading to rigidity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bargains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bargains/) [Economic inequality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic-inequality/) [Fair play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fair-play/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Labor union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor-union/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Unions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unions/) ## Related quotes > [Strong, responsible unions are essential to industrial fair play. Without them the labor bargain is wholly one-sided. The parties to the labor contract must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/strong-responsible-unions-are-essential-to-industrial-fair-play-2/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Trade unions have been an essential force for social change, without which a semblance of a decent and humane society is impossible under capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/trade-unions-have-been-an-essential-force-for-social-change-without/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [When fewer workers have unions, the standard of living falls for everyone and the gap between the rich and poor grows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sweeney/when-fewer-workers-have-unions-the-standard-of-living-falls-for/) [John Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sweeney/) > [The best of wages will not compensate for excessively long working hours which undermine heath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/the-best-of-wages-will-not-compensate-for-excessively-long-working/) [Louis D. 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Roth > [“The economic consequences of these policies have been the same just about everywhere, and exactly what one would expect: a massive increase in social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-economic-consequences-of-these-policies-have-been-the-same-just/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The essential point here is that all people with small, insecure incomes are in the same boat and ought to be fighting on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-essential-point-here-is-that-all-people-with-small-insecure/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“The rich run a global system that allows them to accumulate capital and pay the lowest possible price for labour. The freedom that results…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-moore/the-rich-run-a-global-system-that-allows-them-to-accumulate-capital/) [Charles Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-moore/) ## More by Louis D. Brandeis > [Men feared witches and burned women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/men-feared-witches-and-burned-women/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [The goose that lays golden eggs has been considered a most valuable possession. But even more profitable is the privilege of taking the golden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/the-goose-that-lays-golden-eggs-has-been-considered-a-most-valuable/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Fear of serious injury cannot alone justify suppression of free speech and assembly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/fear-of-serious-injury-cannot-alone-justify-suppression-of-free/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [We gain nothing by trading the tyranny of capital for the tyranny of labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/we-gain-nothing-by-trading-the-tyranny-of-capital-for-the-tyranny-of/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the Government's purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/experience-should-teach-us-to-be-most-on-our-guard-to-protect-liberty/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill it teaches the whole people by example. Crime is contagious. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/our-government-is-the-potent-the-omnipresent-teacher-for-good-or-for/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [What are the American ideals? They are the development of the individual for his own and the common good; the development of the individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/what-are-the-american-ideals-they-are-the-development-of-the/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/most-of-the-things-worth-doing-in-the-world-had-been-declared/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [What I have desired to do is to make the people of Boston realize that the most important office, and the one which all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/what-i-have-desired-to-do-is-to-make-the-people-of-boston-realize/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/if-we-desire-respect-for-the-law-we-must-first-make-the-law/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Fear of serious injury alone cannot justify oppression of free speech and assembly. Men feared witches and burnt women. It is the function of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/fear-of-serious-injury-alone-cannot-justify-oppression-of-free-speech/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [I abhor averages. I like the individual case. A man may have six meals one day and none the next, making an average of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/i-abhor-averages-i-like-the-individual-case-a-man-may-have-six-meals/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Organisation can never be a substitute for initiative and for judgement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/organisation-can-never-be-a-substitute-for-initiative-and-for/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Let no American imagine that Zionism is inconsistent with patriotism. Multiple loyalties are objectionable only if they are inconsistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/let-no-american-imagine-that-zionism-is-inconsistent-with-patriotism/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [“The protection guaranteed by the Amendments is much broader in scope. The makers of our Constitution undertook to secure conditions favorable to the pursuit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/the-protection-guaranteed-by-the-amendments-is-much-broader-in-scope/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) [Explore all 104 Louis D. Brandeis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) ## More Bargains quotes > [I have thoroughly tried school-keeping, and found that my expenses were in proportion, or rather out of proportion, to my income,for I was obliged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-thoroughly-tried-school-keeping-and-found-that-my-expenses/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [You don't bargain with terrorists. You don't appease terrorists. 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You either really didn't want it, or you tried to bargain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/if-you-want-something-and-don-t-get-it-there-are-only-two-reasons-you/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Our goal is to find an outstanding business at a sensible price, not a mediocre business at a bargain price.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/our-goal-is-to-find-an-outstanding-business-at-a-sensible-price-not-a/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [What we shouldn't be doing is trying to take away your rights to bargain for better wages or working conditions... These so-called "right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-shouldn-t-be-doing-is-trying-to-take-away-your-rights-to/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I would prefer to remain in prison for another 20 years than bargain my beliefs for freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-geagea/i-would-prefer-to-remain-in-prison-for-another-20-years-than-bargain/) Samir Geagea > [Let us not envy some men their accumulated riches; their burden would be too heavy for us; we could not sacrifice, as they do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/let-us-not-envy-some-men-their-accumulated-riches-their-burden-would/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Off-the-rack solutions, like bargain basement dresses, never fit anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-giroud/off-the-rack-solutions-like-bargain-basement-dresses-never-fit-anymore/) [Francoise Giroud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-giroud/) > [The natives are very exact and punctual in the bounds of their lands, belonging to this or that prince or people, even to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-williams/the-natives-are-very-exact-and-punctual-in-the-bounds-of-their-lands/) [Roger Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-williams/) > [“Employment bargains your life and time for a piece of currency”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/employment-bargains-your-life-and-time-for-a-piece-of-currency/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [Community colleges are great bargains. 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