Evening star., 1899-06-09
THE TRADE UNIONS
Interesting Remarks on Their Bene-
fit Features.
INCREASE OF The ORGANIZATIONS
Growth Has Been Rapid Since
the Year 1880.
EsTATIsTICS GIVEN

The department Of labor has issued an |
Interesting bulletin by Edward w Bemis |
on Benefit Features Of American Trade |
Unions"
In studying American trade unions.
nlr Esmis says. and comparing them with |
thuS. en- Europe it is necessary to bear In |
mind no. only the great intermtxture or |
natiuuIlrties in our unions. but also their |
y.rl,n These elements vastly increase the |
(ifsirr,I-,- # concerted and intelligent ac- |
tluu-
..yyfrr argauizatious. as with individuals, |
az is rlecessary for the development of
sour.I Judgment and discreet action. Those |
unions have shown the greatest strength
TIA, have developed benefit features. join
Cd f4 -e=arve funds and wise management !
Tb. converse Of the proposition is equally
4rr, That 1t Is the longest lived and
strauc.-t unions that have most developed
thre- features. Such unions also nave the
larceS- reserve funts Tor nme ol poSstopae I,p
,rad. disputes. and have most carefully.
through methods of cOncillation, guafdeu
ap,iuzt rash occurrence of such disputes.
List of Unions.
.0r the existing British trade unions lls
eyare orgslnize-i prior To 1880. Their mem
ber-1il, in lSa8 was 21T.445. None Of the
Axfsftre national unions of America was
formed prior TO 1850. and even at the close
of 1NNn only l. unions. or about one-seVenth
of the existing national or international
ORGANIZATIONS in America, mad been oISa"-
ized 18th
FOLLOWING Is a list of these UNIONS VII"
dates Cf formation
..In,4r7ationaI Typographical Union or
North America, l>lni Tack MdhetS ell
tectlve Union Of the tmtei states at 'lnI
Car3.ia- 1854. Hat FInishers' international
A As.l..T.,.f.,r Of North America, lS.rl; iron
NTnfJsrs- Union of North Ameriea' iS'''
Grand International ir0tnerhppd oi i''Gu
r1otive Engineers. lSiSi; cigar NakSi9 "
ts~rs,rf. nal Union Of America, l7ot; nI4ch
1a,.rs md Nasons' International ihi"h u
America. fssl. brotherhood OF LocClio'lFs
Fyrrrr.u ISI}: International tIh2h oi
ads. l>75. AmaIgamated AssgclaGoh on
Jr,r and Steel Workers. lSi6. " o.o Ii'loo"
Gryss Blowers Association. l@ti' D'''li''
Cutters National linton, 1871
Increase Since 1850.
..f- t,sG Illinois, according 20 the fourth
bfarr.5aI report of the bureau or lapoE S'h
tIs-:cs. had G34 Independent locals anu
branches Of national organizations WIN
III 2,;l members. Only 80 Organlzauohs' VI
o. Der cent Of the total number, were II,
axf-..,cs prior to 1880. and only "A, or 9.4
- c..r- 1rfnr to 1871. The report OF Jhe
Nv York bureau Of statistics OF Lap"F 4o'
1sEl shows that in 1924. out OF F3 ldpor vi
? f.,rYs
TI,,r,rs and branches of national bodte9' fT
y1o~-in.r the date of organization, Only 1t
or II per cent of the total number, "tfe oI
xariz-d prior 70 1871, and 141' or /" per
80 ~ he total. were organized prior 10
tsS, Tho Indiana bureau of labor SlA-
tisrfcz. in its report for 1888 investigator
21T labor organizations IN the state llcluu
Trey fr,lI.rardent unions and branches OI nd
- had7es of this number only IL. or
e r,sr cent. existed prior 10 1877, and only
rs rr a per cent, prior TO ISSo .
'.Iu the United Kingdom 400 ifale u".oI,2, ,ldre
or 81 3 per cent Of all existing unions "efc
,-,,uizF ] prior to 1880 In 1870 THESE 800
unions Contained 911 40 members, or 'l.S
per CEN Of .4sT .5'f2, the total nu1noGr t.! ~
organfzei workmen. The number OF hTlL-
fsh trade unions here gwen apparently N
cludes national organizations anu S''1c-l'
indeu-udeUt locals :,
a. in. census Of 1850 there Were reported
. 4lo small. independent trade unions or
branches af large ones IN the United states
The Knights Of Labor nad Sbo OF 1heSe
branches. or 80 per cent OF the totaIi a. in 10
she remaining branches were Iouhd oIliS ~
tratas having more than 30 locals or ihne-
pendent unions each, with totdl 'I 'o'
branches. If 1t Is assumed thal Ile ,'seL :
a. rrrrnher in each branch was d taS was
The case with .16 branches OF l" unions
a=Dectally studied. the total mempershlp
of these 10 trades was only D,4b- ASsiih-
ing the same average number OF Htihpeis
{r Zach branch the total membership diS-
covered by the census investigator. apar'
from the knights af Labor, was ss,li or
Is stated by enumerators 10 be much larger
fha1 the wear before. This was less num-
ber than was reported for one state aIoht
in September 1897 AT that time the Ne"
York bureau of labor statistics reported
It's 454 in 0H9 organizations me iarses
union reported al the census OF 1851 JIds
ing by the number Of locals. the Amhga
mated Association u Iron and steel NoTh
e-s had IT3 locals and a membership
o GeS n the average membership per 4ocd
b. assumed as SO The next In size, TN
Rrr-hrrhOod Of Locomotive Engineers, ma
7uso members in 14g branches. In the y
bran, hes of the Cigar Makers Interaation
al Union there were 3 500 members. TIT
Brotherhood Of Locomotive Firemen hat
= s,, -,1..r,b4rs in IS locals In the Z
branches Of the International Typograph
Zeal linton there We're only 6ts members
IN all these cases the ngureS refer 70 SOM
time I'm the year 1850,
National Beneft Features.
.Orlv four national unions reported any
national benefit features. One Of these wa
th- brotherhood Of Locomotive Firemen
with > Slr members, another was the Amer
Jean branch of the Amalgamated Societ!
of Carpenters and JOiners, with 24J mem
hers. The other two did not have n;itiona
benefits for all their members. but had
separate insurance department open oni!
70 members Of the trade society, which IN
latter old not join unless they desired. On
of these was the brotherhood of Locomo
tive Engineers. with 1000 members IN tn
union. but only = -uS in the insurance de
partment- The other was the Nationa
Marine Engineers. with l. go in the union
but only 81 IN the insurance department
Thus only $50 American trade unionist
were in receipt Of other than strike benefit
from their national organizations
1t appears that, save when connected Wit
railroad brorherhODds or with the EHg1S
unions none OF :he American unions HI
any national system of benefits in 1SSt
Bulletin No Il has already described III
subsequent development Of the benefit fea
lures Of the great railroad brotherhood
sine these small beginnings Hence the
Will not he referred to again Substantial
ly all the benefit features now in eXiStenC
in American unions are thus seen to hav
DEVELOPED since 1880 II is not restSOua hl
TO expect that America can. yet. presen
such record that of Great Britain
wker,.. as shown in the bulletin for Man
1855 ard summarized in the table follow
ing the 100 principal trade unions wit
their membership gradually incrtasin
from 9l& 80 in 1892 To :6G,953 in 1896, ex
pended during the five years average c
S24lI per member for benefit features. S. S
for mana cement and miscellaneous ey
penses, and only S5.66 for trade dispute.
In other words the expenditure for the las