The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-06-27
IlI ( EMP YE|RlS j
LEARNED 4 LESSON

Story Of Strike }: Involved Over.
5000 Men and Women and End
. ed in Victory for the Workers.
- - --.- 49,
The people Of Chicago were incon->
vencienced for several weeks by the
laundry strike. Those who always
oppose unionism Indignantly asked
why the owners did not open their
laundries in defiance of ? the unions.
The general public, never understood
the situation, and many did not care
what means were used to end the con-
dition of war that existed for over a.
month.
For The information of those who
do not know, it is well to state that
in all laundries skilled and unskilled
workers are employed, and while both
classes have been underpaid, the I'M
skilled laborer has $been forced to ac-
cept what he could get. The result
was that the unskilled labor was re-
cruited from the ranks of children and
young girls who were forced to work
for whatever they could get. The
sufficient to induce the workers to
remain to learn the business, conse-
quently that Portion of laundry help
has always been changing, recruited
from day to day by signs placed in
the windows. from the element that
passes along the streets Of a large
city, Laundry owners cared nothing
about the cleanliness, the age or the
physical condition of these workers,
so they would perform the necessary
work for small pay.
Why Union Was Formed.
This condition Of affairs did not
suit the skilled branch Of laundry
workers., and the result was the for
nation of a union with the object of
obtaining higher wages and better
ment of working conditions.
When the wage scale was presented
to the employers there was a general
inclination to grant the increase to
the skilled help, but many of the own
ers refused positively to pay the work.
ers who could be obtained by simply
putting a sign in the window. They
said it was foolish to pay that class
of help more money: It was a nigra-
tory class; it was an ignorant class;
it wasn't worth more than it was
paid.
The employers did not stop to con-
slider why the unskilled class was al
they characterized it; they did not
| reflect that a class of workers who
| will toll from ten to sixteen hours 6
dayton from So to 81 week mus
necessarily be ignorant or:needy. How
ir1 to 0rLr
| week after week for a. mere pittanct
and stand constant fines;1f a chance
| was offered. to work elsewhere fo1
higher wages? OF course they were
| migratory; of course they were no
worth much;" they could have no in
terest in their work.. 1t was but (
place to earn a little money! make
shift. till a better opportunity offered
Wide Awake Employers Sign the
Scale. :.
! This was one of the7 conditions tn
union wanted: to change; it wante,
higher wages fort skilled work
ers 80 that the class could be betteree
If a girl could earn Sc or$7 q week Il
a. laundry she would stay; belonging
to the union she would not work a
something else and the higher wage
would cause her to take an interes
in her work and strive for advance
ment.
Several owners saw how this woul
increase the efficiency of their plant
and signed the scale at once. Man
others were ready to do likewise, bu
the spirit of greed got the best of tn
balance. An association was hurried
ly formed and the wagering ones we1
pulled back from the brink.
The old argument of mot allow
ing union to run my business" we
; used as an excuse and the great stril
was forced upon the workers. AL tt
: trouble, all the inconvenience uffere
by the public was the direct result
that one desire Of the owners-to en-
? ploy cheap labor. They will not pc;
NIT complete unionizing of the
, plants, because if only union he]
; were employed the owners could n
work their skilled help overtime witt
:, out extra pay, nor could they put
!, card in the window and in a ha
;. hour fill their work rooms with lit
girls and young women who wou
work long hours for a few cents p
day.
The first move toward arbitratit
was made by the laundry worker
Y who waivedt11e demand that none b
4 union workers be employed but ii
! sisted that all non-union employ<
: should receive union pay and be con
PEELED to join the union If they wor]
ed longer than one week. This w
refused, in fact, theowners refused {
offers Of the union and made no e