Some historians contend that conditions in the United States

[melguy]

Some historians contend that conditions in the United States during the Second World War gave rise to a dynamic wartime alliance between trade unions and the African American community, an alliance that advanced the cause of civil rights. They conclude that the postwar demise of this vital alliance constituted a lost opportunity for the civil rights movement that followed the war. Other scholars, however, have portrayed organized labor as defending all along the relatively privileged position of White workers relative to African American workers. Clearly, these two perspectives are not easily reconcilable, but the historical reality is not reducible to one or the other. Unions faced a choice between either maintaining the prewar status quo or promoting a more inclusive approach that sought for all members the right to participate in the internal affairs of unions, access to skilled and high-paying positions within the occupational hierarchy, and protection against
management's arbitrary authority in the workplace. While union representatives often voiced this inclusiveideal, in practice unions far more often favored entrenched interests. The accelerating development of the civil rights movement following the Second World War exacerbated the unions' dilemma, forcing trade unionists to confront contradictions in their own practices.

The "unions' dilemma" mentioned in the highlighted text can best be described as the question of whether or not to
(A) pressure management to create more skilled and high-paying positions
(B) fight for greater union participation in management decisions
(C) include minority workers in their membership
(D) extend full rights and benefits to all their members
(E) emphasize the recruitment of new members over serving the needs of current members

Please help. OA is D. Can someone justify the answer. Thanks

[vinay1983]

I think this can help in realizing the correct option!

"While union representatives often voiced this inclusive ideal, in practice unions far more often favored entrenched interests."

Similar to what the correct option is!

[C cd86]

"Unions faced a choice between either maintaining the
prewar status quo or promoting a more inclusive
approach that sought for all members the right to
participate in the internal affairs of unions, access to
skilled and high-paying positions within the
occupational hierarchy, and protection against
management's arbitrary authority in the workplace"

this says how the unions had hirarchy issues etc within themselevs..and wenrent able to sort out things..so thats the dilemma

[J Jimit09]

"The accelerating development of the civil rights movement following the Second World War exacerbated the unions' dilemma, forcing trade unionists to confront contradictions in their own practices. "

Here you need to understand that the unions dilemma was to confront contradictions in their own practices.
According to passage it can be inferred that unions were doing particiality towards the white workers and not giving equal rights and opportunities to African Americans and so during World War 2, they were faced with dillema of supporting the African Americans too and so they had to confront that contradiction.

Thanks if the post or explanation is helpful