The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-09-19
TRADE UNI0NISM
ON MESABA RANGE
RETAIL CLERKS INACCURATE
CAMPAIGN FOR SHORTER
HOURS.
Most Stores Have Agreed to Early
Closing. Four Refuse to Acceed.
Other Unions Formed In
Virginia.


Trade unionism has received an impetus
On the Mesaba Iron Range. Last week
w. E. McEwen, Secretary of the Min
nesota State Federation of Labor
paid a visit to this city and at
large mass meeting he laid the
foundation for several strong trade un
ions. In a short time there will be some
bona fide trade unions of painters,
carpenters, bartenders and bricklayerrs.
located in this city. The
retail clerks are already organized
and give promise of a good future. It
was sheer necessity that caused the
clerks. Of Virginia to bind themselves
into a union. Their hours Of labor were
longer than those @of the average work
erin; an eastern sweat shop. . From Il: 30
in the morning until almost midni ght.
they would stand behind az counter
waiting for the last scitizen Of Virginia
to retire 50 that "a single sale would not
be lost. On Sunday morning, while all
good people were. on their way to
church, clothing and notion stores
would be running full blast. The Clerks
stood this ever since Virginia became
city until quite recently, During this
time many silent complaint was
made but that was all. What can a
single complainer accomplish? Who is
there to listen to the wailing of the
solitary clerk? In this day Of COM
bination the individual receives but lit
tie attention in any walk of life. Not
long ago member of the Minneapolis
retail clerks union drefted into Virginia.
He had tasted some of the sweets Of or
ganization, and he knew what it was
capable of accomplishing in, Virginia.
| So he set to work. In less time than it
| takes to tell he had induced almost
every retail clerk in the city to join
| with him in an application for charter
| from the Retail Clerks. Protective Asso-
| citation. When the local union was
| properly installed members set out to
make it as useful as possible. The ban
| was put on Sunday labor. Some merch-
! ants refused to close on Sunday. There
is state law making it a. crime to keep
a clothing store or any other store of
like nature open on Sundays. The clerks
sought the aid of the local court. The
judge at first refused to issue warrants
against merchants who were violating
/ the law. Later he ascertained that the
sentiment" of the community was in
favor of Sunday observance, and Ike
the ordinary politician who fears public
sentiment, he reluctantly loosened up
bit. Now, after few fines have been
imposed, most store keepers closed on
Sunday. The unions next step was to
secure an earlier closing during the
week. 1t asked that all merchants close
promptly at 8 o'clock in the evening.
This was agreed to by the vast major
ity of the merchants, who like their
clerks are glad to- spend their evenings
at home getting acquainted with their
families. Four stores, the proprietors
| of which are all members OF. the Semitic
family, still remain open in opposition
to the sentiment of the best people IN
| Virginia.. These firms are Shaned1ing
Bros, Joseph Roman, .Nathanson
Bros, and The Fair. OF the four Nath-
anson Bros. are, inclined to be the
fairest. They are as anxious to close
with the union stores as any merchant
/ in town, but as their nearest competit-
1 ors remain open they are obliged to
/ do the same for self preservation. The
! proprietors of the Fair have sued the
officers of the union for $1,000 damages
for conspiring against their business.
! The specific charge is distributing a
notice such as the following:
:. 'Notice to all friends Of Fair Play.
/ An Appeal to Friends of Labor. THE
! FAIR is&unfairs to the retail clerks of
i Virginia. All other stores in the city
4 close at Eight p: m. The Fair. persist
in keeping open in opposition to the
! sentiment OF this community. We ask
all friends OF abor and believers in fair
J, play to- patronize only such. stores that
Izobserve the earl q closing. Don give
your patrona 70 the Fair y any
other store that keeps open after 8 =,
Retail Clerks Onion ginia,,
o q 7:',As
The demands 1 HE clerk was per