The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-26
REMEDY FOR LABOR STRIKES.
PROPOSED BY STATE LABOR
COMMISSIONER MACKIN.

Education Along Lines Of Mutual Conn
dence and the Establishment OF Local
Boards Of Mediation or Arbitration
Statistics Of strikes In This State.
ALBANY. Feb. Estate Labor Com
missioner McMackin. In his annual report.
says the department is forced to b con-
clusion that the system Of annual adjust
ment of contracts or understanding be-
tween employer and employees should
he fostered and encouraged. which will,
he believes, result in eventually reducing
the number of actual strikes 10 a minimum.
In discussing the question Of organization
Of capital and labor. no says:
A somewhat new condition has developed
In connection with disputes in this state
by the organization Of employers for the
implied and often avowed purpose Of re-
sistinR the demands OF organized labor.
Should necessity arise IL will also be used
to enforce conditions OF employment, III
wisdom and Justice prevail and the two organ
lied bodies recognize and realize their COM
mon interest IN. and dependence on. each
other. good rather than harm will come OF
this condition, as it eliminates what was
frequently a barrier to the adjustment OF q
difference bet ween the employer and em-
ployee by making conditions uniform.
There are two classes Of people who are
always a menace to the stability OF Industrial
prosperity. On the one hand is the arrogant
employer and on the other the unwise or
reckless labor leader. II Is unjust and often
criminal to cause an unnecessary strike.
IL Is certainly, true that such strikes occur
and II Is equally true that had the causes
leading up 60 many Of the strikes been dis
passionately discussed they would never
have occurred.
- - - ~ -xa.-.t,t1. - Ik-.
unions is still a thorn in the flesh Of the in
dustrisl world. IL would seem TO us that
II the employer would concede the right
10 the employee to organize and use his in
huence toward securing the selection Of
reliable leaders. and the employee on the
other hand would concede the right Of HE
fellow workman to join or refrain from join
ing the labor union. and both employer
and employee would take each, other. into
s sny dir confidence 9Ss, SISb, a ,aoro the sgta stsSsss
to labor unions would soon disappear.
This is the general plan upon which rail;
they certainly are not consid cred as a menace
TO Industrial stability. In fact 1t Is the rule
tiyes of the railway organizations to annually
meet the general officers OF me dinerens
railway systems TO discuss and adjust any
is a feeling OF respect and confidence In each
other and a practical guarantee OF stability
to Industrial conditions on railway property.
tlon OF labor unions win be a practical solu-
ton. we believe that the most effective
remedy at the present time is education
along the lines OF mutual confidence and
the establishment OF local boards Of media
or inability TO reach 4 satisfactory settle
ment before resorting 20 strike or lockout
the services Of the Bureau Of Mediation apd
no stoppage OF work through strike or lock-
out until all available means TO adjust the
trouble have been exhausted, -r-
W. xoYart aaxra that tho total stDnIa
Of disputes recorded in the nine months
from Jan. 1 To Sept. 80 was i26, involving
$40 firms or establishments and t4.s23 EN-
ployees out Of 81. $3.50. the number em-
ployed before the dispute. The number
OF active participants in strikes or lock:
outs was q: ,057, while p. 7o8 additional
employees were thrown out OF employ
ment as the result of disputes. The dura-
ton OF all disputes, measured by the
aggregate number OF working days lost
44s days were lost by those directly and
3i7 ,833 days by those indirectly affected.
OF the 6i9 establishments involved. 504
suspended work for a longer or shorter
period.
or the 1925 strikes and lock-outs, IS were
for an increase Of wages and 81 for reduc-
ton in the hours of work, while ~ turne:
on the question OF unionism. Only thrse
disputes turned on a r-oposed reduction
in wages. but they involved a good many
workmen The same may be said Of four
disputes concerning the method OF pay
nent OF wages. Three sympathetic strikes
or lock o involved fewer than 1000 EN-
ployees. but led TO 30. 900 days of lost time.
Measured by aggregate duration In work.
ing days, the causes OF trade disputes
ranked as follows: For increase Of wages,
i30, 27s days; for reduction Of hours OF work,
il0,027 days; against reduction oil wages,
IS. SIS days; sympathetic strikes or lock
outs, 81 ,e26 days; method OF paying wages,
IS eos days: trade unionism. +4.s22 days:
working arrangements or shop rules, IL
$50 days; miscellaneous, l.s+S days; en-
ployment Of particular persons. 20 days.
or the l2o disputes. IS resulted In favor
Of the workmen, So in favor OF the en-
ployers and rs were compromised. OF
the $50 establishment involved. the work.
missed in $50. Distributing the 22.067 en-
ployees directly involved. II Is found that
the victories Of the employees were shared
in by 1859. their defeats 5,062 and their
compromises 7,023. Measured by aggregate
duration in days, the disputes resulting
in favor of the ~workingmen involved the
loss of 1872 1884 days. in favor Of employers
lo6 ,sie, compromised 1915. But II 10
to be marked that the compromises were
almost invariably partial Victories for the
workingmen, since a compromise OF de-
mands made by them leads to some gain
upon previously existing conditions.
The employers won all OF the disputes
of the sympathetic kind and also those
involving the employment OF particular
persons. But they were wholly or partially
defeated in all the disputes primarily con-
and in most Of the strikes against the re-
duction of wages. The disputes about
increase OF wages and reduction Of hours
were largely settled by compromise.