New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-11-08
NO NOPE "JACKS-OF-ALL-TRADES."
THE rRADE-uNIoNs or TO-DAY MAKE EACH
MAN STICK TO Ills LAST

MAN STICK TO Ills LAST
Tho jealousy which prompts men to resent any
body entering into competition with them In what
they deem their own special fields OF labor Is
never moro strongly exempllhed than In trade
unions. Organized labor throughout the world
draws straight and taut lines FOR tho men OF every
trade TO follow and strikes invariably follow any
deviation from these lines. There have been many
strikes In this city IN which the causes given have
been exceedingly obscure 10 the average citizen
not directly connected with labor organization.
These strikes have generally been tersely summed
up rs conflicts between rival labor unions. But
while this has been true It IS only proper to say
that in almost every case the conflict has been
caused by of the unions breaking an estab-
lshed law OF organized labor. The law which Is
most often broken. and which causes tho majority
OF the dssensions In the ranks OF organized labor
Is that OF men not sticking TO their own lasts"
Competition for work Is now so keen that no man
belonging 10 the ranks OF organized labor Is per-
mltted TO go out OF his own trade TO seek IT, The
days OF the sam Sicks' and other jacks-of-all
trades is past and. In fact. single trades are now
divided up into departments that but few men
master all of them A few years ago a man. be
fore no became journeyman In any trade. was
compelled to know every branch OF 1t. ana until
lie had mastered all the details OF It he was forced
to accept the wages OF apprentice. Now.
however II is different. A man learns one branch
OF trade and he becomes mechanic and works
for a mechanics wages. There large num-
Der OF the old-time workmen who do more than
Is required OF them In the branch OF tho trade in
which they employed and they ARE often called
upon by employers TO do so. But as soon as they
attempt TO carry out their employers wishes they
violate tho law OF trade-unionism and a conflict
follows.
A conflict OF this character occurred recently on
one OF tho large buildings which Is now being
erected on Broadway. The painters employed on
the building all union men, and their union
was In good standing with the other unions among
tho building trades In tho city. Tho contractor for
whom these painters worked. however Insisted
that they should not only paint the building. but
ouired on the structure Now while these men
could do vanishing and understood II thoroughly.
they not, In the eyes OF trade-unionsm var
nishers. They were painters, and that was all.
Vanishing was another trade. and the varnshers
had II union OF their own. II did no good for the
contractor TO insist that these painters understood
what no wanted vanished and what no did not
was OF no for him to declare that his painters
could paint half OF n window sash and varnish
the other half better and quicker than II they
did only the painting and the varnishers were
called In to do the vanishing. The walking dele
gate OF the Varrishers' Union Insisted hat the
as far rs trade-unlonism concerned. The
contractor persisted. and general strike of all
union workmcn affiliated with the Painters Union
employed on tho building followed. This IL the
history OF about all the conflicts between trade
uniors and OF about all the strikes which have re-
suited therefro 1t IL also said that as time goes
on the branches OF trades Will become even more
numerous than they are at present and the lines
by which they marked will be more strictly
drawn.