The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-02
LABOR
And It's Strife
to Win.
TRADE UNIONS.
Do They Pay in Worcester
Their History.

trade un1oniSm has been popular how
ever, with a portion of the laboring
GLASS for centuries. and If crushed to
the earth under one name it Is sure to
rise under another. Nearly all of the
labor unions Of the state are affiliated
with the Massachusetts Federation of
Labor which is branch of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor
Frequent tests as to the success of
the respective unions are given when a
union makes q demand or an employer.
Ii the employer yields the union wins,
but large percentage OF the manufac-
turers prefer to fight it out, even at
great cost, and perhaps without offer
ing to compromise. 1t is not always de-
mands upon the parts Of the unions
which are responsible for strikes, for
nothing will instigate the union men
to strike so quickly as cutdown in
wages Organized labor in Worcester at
the present time claims to be stronger
than ever before, yet its real strength
has not been nut to a severe test for
some time. tt is hoped by both en-
ployers and employees that such test
will not be made, for while the laborers
are not usually prepared to hold out
through long and bitter strife, 1t also
means the loss of thousands of dollars
to the manufacturers.
There are nearly q score of, labor
unions in Worcester which are affiliat-
ed with the Central Labor Union and
the Building Trades Council, and these
two organizations are IN turn affiliated
with the State Federation of Labor. 1t
is estimated that about one-half of the
craftsmen in Worcester are union Ia
borers. This does not, Of course, In
elude clerks and those holding clerical
positions, but more especially the fac
tory help, city laborerS and tradesmen.
The Central Labor Union was organ
lied in 1885, and it increased in num-
bers each year. jefferson D. Pierce is
president of the union, and he is often
called upon to speak in the organiza-
tions which are affiliated with Central
Labor Union The Building Trades
Council Of Worcester was organized in
1896 1t Is composed of five delegates
from the various local unions who are
engaged in the erection and construc-
ton of buildings.
The object of the building trades
council is to assist one another in get
ting fair and Just remuneration for
their social position, and what is the
concern of one is the concern of all
connected with the council. William A.
Rossley is president Of the council.
Some of the unions which are con-
sidered by the union men to be in
strong condition, financially and other
wise, are the carpenters, steamfitters,
eoremakers and BARRIERS, the latter be-
ing especially strong. Those which are
not quite as well organized just at
present are the lasters, and the fathers
and roofers. The strength of the moul-
ders' union is now being put to test
at several Of the foundries in Woroes-
ter. Certain demands were made by
the moulders recently at number of
the iron foundries. No difficulty was
experienced by the union excepting at
william Allen & Sons foundry, and at
the Prespey Pero foundry, and at these
places a final settlement will not be
made until the arrival of representa-
tive from the international headquar-
tiers Of the moulders union at Cincinna-
ii. The union coremakers are out on
strike at both of the above-named
foundries and further action upon
their part awaits the settlement made
by the moulders. The strike of the coal
handlers, a few years since, resulted
disastrously for their union, which
went out Of existence shortly after that
time.
All actions of the trades unions are
firm and decisive, and they adhere to
no measures which are mild and unem-
ter, president of the State Federation
of Labor, was asked his opinion by the
Spy man yesterday, as to the efficacy
of trades unionism in Worcester and
elsewhere, and submitted the following
statement:
In the philosophy of the universe
there is no such thing as accident.
Things may happen out of the ordinary
course of events, but back Of each cir
cumstance there is a directly respon-
sible cause. The banding together Of
men in trades unions, for the purpose
OF protecting their interests In their
separate trades, is the direct outgrowth
of certain varied elements of human
nature. That is, if all men were fair.
just and honorable, restrictive or CO.
erctve, agencies of any sort would be
unnecessary. But there Is nothing
more apparent within the range Of
every day observation than the Fact
that all men do not possess these quail
ties. some are criminal, many are
greedy and avaricious, and most all are
selfish. Our police departments and
armies, the reformatories and prisons
are all evidence to this state Of affairs
There was never time known 10
history when it was not the tendency
OF the strong to Cypress the weak. Of
the cunning to despoil the trusting. OF
the rich to mulct the poverty-stricken
The social problem is born Of
mans inhumanity to man. The So
clal order with it's millionaires and
paupers, its palaces and novels. its
hungry wolves prowling by BURSTING
granaries and waving fields, Its giIded
ldlerS and wan factory children. IFS nm
per ten in leisure and luxury. while
their brothers WalloW in nire. are ali
object lessons which arise from +ha
defects in the human nature. Rr,Ite
nature is not confined altogether to the
lower animal. 1.-The human fox or ~
ger mag pluck the geese and rend the
lamb quite as effectively as their soul
less kin of the lowep order of creation
And as self-preservation has taught
the animal Kingdom that there is
strength in numbers, as you see the
sheep go in fiocks, the cattle in droves
so men have partly learned the same
lesson of combination of the weak
against the strong.
1t is said that man may not even
yet be said to own himself, but by con-
traSt with his ancestors he is a rree-
man. The trade union has graduate
evolved, as the principle of voluntary
association has been developed. and
stands today as the most potent fac
tor in the great struggle for the eman-
cipation Of the wage slave 1t is fhe
only method which has been found
most effective in daily dealing with the
human foxes and tigers who are the
buyers OF labor. as against that Grass
its force Is directed. 1t works no hard
ship to the just and fair employees.
and its coercion is not felt by the fair
and Just employee.
1t Is sometimes asserted that the
trade union is narrow in it's scope and
limited in its purpose 1t is true that
trade unionists are sometimes narrow