The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-10
NON-UNION UNIONS
 DOING WELL
SUCCESS OF THE EXPERIMENT
 MADE IN INDIANA.
Workmen Paid According to Their Skill-Some Get More
 Than Union Wages.

Indianapolis, Ind. Letter to New York
 Sun.
 ''The most gratifying result which has followed our organization of a so-called non-union union.' says a Muncie contract or today when discussing the movement to band free labor together for the right to work in that. city and others of the State, lis seen in the better work that the employees do and in the cheerfulness with which it Is done.
 "The union scale here is 30 cents an hour. but there is a man" (pointing to a carpenter who was directing the setting of some porch columns) "who has worked for me for three years and I am paying him 70 cents an hour. He Is the foreman on this job and know that the work will go on just as fast and just as well as though l were here all the time. That man on the roof is getting 25 cents an hour and 1t is all he can earn. Under the rule of the union, both men would be re- ceiving the same wages for though 30 cents is the maximum wage you must re- member that there Is really no minimum among union men. As soon as a man joints the union he wants the best wages paid. and if you hire him at the maxi mum and find him to be worth only the minimum, you have to keep him or run the risk of having the job tied up.
 This has been a union town TOT the last ten years and every contractor has felt that he was paying good men too ht- tie and poor men too much. But there was no help for 1t till we formed an or ganization which admits both the em- ployer and the employe to membership. Some of our men felt that they were be- ing discriminated against by the union when they were forced to work for the | same wages as the 'saw-and- -hatchet' men, but when they uttered complaints in the union against such a rule they were outnumbered by the cheap men and there was nothing to do but submit to the ma Jority.'
 Investigation at Anderson, Muncie, Ma rion, Columbus and other places where the employers and employees have formed organizations, has developed the fact that though the workmen m the building trades are graded according to their abil- ity as craftsmen. the average wages are higher than those paid under the union scale in the same cities. Both the em- ployers and the employees say that the new system is working without friction and | that while there has been some discon- tent on account of wages and hours, this 1 has been settled amicably between the men and the employers and there has beer | no suggestion even of a strike since the organizations were formed three months l ago.
 | As nearly as can be ascertained with. out an actual count there are now about 3,00O members of the non-union organiza tions in the State the employers number Ing about 300 Asked what appeared tC be the effect of the new organization upor the two classes who are parties to 1t, tho Muncie contractor said
 The question answers itself when tell you that the pick of the labor or ganizations are coming to us for work For years the best men in the tradei have been working by the side of poo mechanics at the same wage and with out any hope of doing better. So the! worked without incentive.
 Our system has changed this and pu life into the men. When a union maI comes to us we simply ask that he go t' work and show what he can do. If he il quick and accurate. he earns gooC wage and gets 1t. but If he Is slow an' slovenly in his work we either do no keep him or put him to work as a help CT with a helpers wages. But we giv' him a chance and he gets what his chanc' is.
 The effect on the contractors has beel quite as good as on the men. for the! feel nearer to their employees and giv them many evidences of appreciation tha the union rules made impossible. Las week contractor wanted to enclose house before Saturday night to get som money that he was obliged to have. H explained to the men that he could ge the money if the roof was on by Saturda, night and asked them to work an hou longer each day. Every man consente' to work and it was nearly dark on Sat urday evening when they quit work.
 There was no agreement for extr' pay, but he gave each man 50 cents al hour for his extra work. Now, the un the union misses 1t, for it is just sue A favor for an employer. There's wher the union misses 1t, foar 1t is just sue thing as that that brings the contract or and his men together and makes then good friends"
 The leaders of the labor unions were a first inclined to betlittle the movemen among employers. and all predictions wer that the non-union labor organization would not outlast the season. but ther has been a radical change or sentimen and new tactics have been adopted t counteract the growing sentiment anon union men favorable to the new organi
 2ations.