The Best English Reading Paragraphs. Part - 16 - A-Z English Learning Website

Engaging in English reading paragraphs is essential for language development and comprehension skills.
Improving English comprehension paragraphs helps individuals grasp complex ideas and enhances their overall understanding of the language.
Diverse reading comprehension passages offer varied content, enabling readers to explore different topics and expand their knowledge.
Practice with a specific paragraph for reading practice contributes to honing one’s ability to extract information efficiently.
Regular exposure to reading comprehension paragraphs is vital for academic and professional success, fostering critical thinking and analytical skills.
The importance of reading paragraph lies in its role as a fundamental building block for effective communication and information processing.
Consistent reading paragraph practice is recommended for those aiming to enhance their reading speed and comprehension accuracy.
For individuals preparing for language proficiency exams like IELTS, mastering IELTS reading paragraphs is crucial for success.
Reading a paragraph in English daily is a simple yet effective habit to develop and maintain language proficiency.
Emphasizing the importance of reading paragraph in educational settings contributes to a well-rounded academic experience.
The cumulative effect of dedicated practice with english reading paragraphs results in improved language skills and a broader intellectual horizon.

Labor unions in the United States have been losing members for years. Not all are shrinking, however. The nation’s fastest-growing union has recently added thousands of members in Houston, Texas. The expansion is the result of an effort to organize the workers who clean buildings.

The Service Employees International Union has close to two million members. It organizes workers in a number of service areas. These include health workers, government and public service workers and workers in property services.

In Houston, janitors at four major companies have voted to unionize. The American Arbitration Association recognized the decision as official on November twenty-ninth. Four thousand seven hundred janitors in Houston have now joined the Service Employees International.

That number is more than sixty percent of the janitors in large buildings in the city. It could increase to over seventy percent if workers at another company are able to unionize.

The Houston janitors say they want the union to help them negotiate better pay. They also hope for some form of health plan and retirement savings.

Currently, the janitors receive about five dollars and thirty cents an hour. That is a little above the national minimum wage of five dollars and fifteen cents. The minimum wage is the lowest pay that workers can receive.

Unionized janitors in cities like Chicago, New York or Washington, D.C., earn eleven dollars or more. But most cleaning workers around the country do not belong to unions. Many workers in low-paying service jobs are recent immigrants. Some are in the country illegally.

The Houston area is not known for organized labor activity. The union did not even have offices there. Organizers from Chicago supervised the effort.

In July, the Service Employees International Union split with the A.F.L.-C.I.O. That came as part of a major division within the country’s main labor alliance.

Andrew Stern is president of the service employees union. He says twenty-first century unions must organize by industry across borders, to deal with huge international companies.

Fifty years ago, about thirty-three percent of privately employed workers in America were in a union. By the early nineteen eighties it was twenty percent. Today about thirteen percent of American workers belong to unions.

VOCABULARY

Word	Synonyms	Antonyms	Meaning	Example
Union	Association, Alliance	Division, Separation	An organized association of workers formed to protect and further their rights and interests	The Service Employees International Union, one of the nation’s fastest-growing unions, recently added thousands of janitors in Houston.
Shrinking	Decreasing, Contracting	Expanding, Growing	Becoming smaller in size, amount, or number	Labor unions in the United States have been losing members for years, but not all are shrinking; the Service Employees International Union has been growing in Houston.
Expansion	Growth, Enlargement	Contraction, Reduction	The action of becoming larger or more extensive	The union’s expansion effort in Houston resulted in thousands of janitors joining, marking a significant growth for the Service Employees International Union.
Organize	Unionize, Mobilize	Disband, Disorganize	To arrange or form into a structured or coordinated whole	The effort to organize janitors in Houston led to thousands voting to unionize, seeking better pay and improved working conditions.
Recognition	Acknowledgment, Validation	Ignorance, Disregard	The acknowledgment of the existence, validity, or legality of something	The American Arbitration Association recognized the official decision of janitors in Houston to unionize on November 29th.
Negotiate	Bargain, Confer	Reject, Disagree	To engage in discussions with the aim of reaching an agreement or compromise	Janitors in Houston want the union to help them negotiate better pay, health plans, and retirement savings.
Minimum wage	Lowest pay, Base salary	Maximum wage, Top salary	The lowest wage that employers are legally required to pay workers	Currently, janitors in Houston receive about $5.30 per hour, slightly above the national minimum wage of $5.15.
Illegal	Unlawful, Prohibited	Legal, Permitted	Contrary to or forbidden by law	Some cleaning workers in low-paying service jobs are recent immigrants, and some are in the country illegally.
Organized labor activity	Union activity, Labor organization	Disorganization, Chaos	Coordinated efforts by workers to protect their rights and interests	The Houston area is not known for organized labor activity, and organizers from Chicago supervised the unionization effort.
Division	Separation, Split	Unity, Harmony	The action of separating or being separated into parts	The Service Employees International Union split with the A.F.L.-C.I.O. in July, marking a major division within the country’s main labor alliance.
Alliance	Coalition, Partnership	Division, Disagreement	A union or association formed for mutual benefit, especially between countries or organizations	The split with the A.F.L.-C.I.O. came as part of a major division within the country’s main labor alliance, leading to a change in the Service Employees International Union’s approach to organizing.
Industry	Business sector, Trade	Agriculture, Non-industrial	A particular form or branch of economic or commercial activity	President Andrew Stern believes that twenty-first-century unions must organize by industry across borders to effectively deal with huge international companies.
Borders	Boundaries, Frontiers	Connection, Integration	The line separating two countries or areas	Andrew Stern emphasizes the need for unions to organize by industry across borders to address the challenges posed by large international companies.
Privately employed	Non-government, Non-public	Public, Government-employed	Individuals working in non-governmental or non-public sectors	Fifty years ago, about 33% of privately employed workers in America were in a union, while the current percentage has decreased to about 13%.
Division	Schism, Separation	Unity, Amalgamation	The action of separating or being separated into parts	The split with the A.F.L.-C.I.O. in July marked a division within the labor movement, reflecting different approaches to organizing workers.
Supervised	Monitored, Oversaw	Ignored, Neglected	Watched and directed the execution of a task or activity	Organizers from Chicago supervised the effort to organize janitors in Houston, leading to a successful unionization effort.
Effort	Attempt, Endeavor	Inactivity, Neglect	A vigorous or determined attempt	The organized effort by the Service Employees International Union in Houston resulted in thousands of janitors joining the union.
Streamline	Simplify, Optimize	Complicate, Compromise	To make a process or system more efficient and effective	Lawmakers and the Securities Industry Association suggest changes to streamline market policing and enhance regulatory efficiency.
Efficiency	Effectiveness, Productivity	Inefficiency, Ineffectiveness	The ability to achieve maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense	Suggestions for changes aim to improve regulatory efficiency and simplify market policing, creating a more effective oversight system.
Market supervision	Regulation, Oversight	Neglect, Laissez-faire	The act of overseeing and controlling activities within a market	Some lawmakers and industry experts propose changes to market supervision, aiming to enhance regulatory effectiveness and reduce tension.

The Best English Reading Paragraphs. Part – 16

VOCABULARY

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