The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-03-12
1900 GLOVE WORKERS
AGAINST OPEN SHOP
MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION
THROWS DOWN GAUNTLET
TO GLOVE MAKERS

Would Consider No Demand for Wages
Unless Labor Agreed to the Princi.
piles of the "Open Shop" Nothing
Remained to be Done but to Strike.
A. F. Of L. Is Supporting the Union.
First Big National Fight on Hand.
Washington, D. c., The American
Federation of Labor has taken sides
with the striking glove makers Of
Johnstown, N. Y, where 1000 men and
women are involved in struggle against
the "Open Shop" President Gompers
was quick to grasp the possible breadth
of the fight, and Immediately came to
the rescue Of the glovemakers. He
asked President Taylor of the Interna-
tonal Glove Workers union for state
ment to be presented to the organized
wage earners of America which was
given and is in part as follows:
THE International Glove Workers
Union of America was organized at
Washington, D. c., December 1902,
consequently one of the youngest In
ternational organizations affiliated with
that great industrial organization, the
American Federation of Labor. Prev
ious to our affiliation with the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor, and the
amalgamation of the various crafts en-
gagged in the making Of gloves, the
glove workers. as a whole, were poorly
organized, with the exception of the
cutters. This craft has for the past
seven years met with the manufactur-
ers annually, and have been successful
in mutually agreeing upon a schedule
Of prices and conditions to govern the
ensuing year. The balance of the glove
workers, consisting chiefly of those en-
gagged i nthe sewing department (wo-
mem were indifferently organized, and
as a result their conditions and wages
suffered accordingly.
Our consolidation of forces did not
meet with the approval of the manu-
farturers, and, fearful of the result
that they believed would follow, that
is. more pronounced desire for short
er hours and an increased wage, they
also organized under the name of the
Manufacturers Association Of Fulton
County, with the apparent purpose of
not only opposing our rights, but as
subsequent events have proven to
destroy our organizat ton before we be-
c:tme sufficiently strong to successfully
E, lose them.
At the annual conference between
the manufacturers and the Cutters
Union, In November, 1903, the commit
tee from the Union was informed by
the committee: re pEesenting the aaManusss
TactuFerstE EAssoc atio1l that before any
questions regarding a schedule for 1904
could be considered: it would be- neces-
sary Tor the Union, or rather as indi-
vhuals Of the Union, to agree to the
following nom on-discriminating clause:
1t Is mutually agreed between
the members of the Glove Manu-
facturers' Association and the indi-
Vldual cutters accepting work under
this schedule that there shall be
no discrimination as between UN-
ION and NON-UNION LABOR,
and that the principles of THE
OPEN SHOP shall be recognized
during the life of this agreement"
At the time of this conference there
were but nine men working at our
trade who We're not members of the
Union. The union had not previous to
this demand. nor did they refuse at
this conference toswork with non-un-
ion labor, but the committee realized
that the signing of this agreement
would mean the death blow to organ
lied labor in this country, and being
T.
ganization (the American Federation
Of I4abor), which is OH record as being
opposed to the "Open Shop" the man
ufacturers' demands for the open shon
were refused. and their action was un-
animously indorsed by the members of
the union( consisting of more than six
hundred men.
The manufacturers reply was that
ho icc
was agreed to and also a reduction of
five cents per dozen on one grade Of
work, that on and after December p,
1908, there would be no further work
for them.
The union accepted the manufacture
ers challenge for ane industrial war
and on the above named date the battle
of unionism versus non -unionism was
on. Immediately upon receiving notj-
fication of the position the cutters
wer placed in by the demands, Of the
manufacturers Association, six local
unions, Qadies) went out on a SYM
pathetic strike; and on the twentieth
OF January the only remaining union at
work in the trade in the county Nhe
Amalgamated Table Cutters) also went
out. The sympathetic strike did not
stop with the members of the union
going out, but those who had previous
ly remained outside the union also went
out until our nunebr approximated
four thousand glove workers.
From all indications the manufac-
turers are determined to disrupt our
union an dare willing to sacrifice a
portion of their business oaccomplsh
thei robject. We have no hopes of Il
settlement nthe near future, and in
order to carry on this strike we must
have assistance. A victory for the
manufacturers. which would mean the
open Shop in this vicinity, would
mean victory for capital in general,
and a corresponding defeat for organ
i1o6 Ia hOr in ponora1' -