The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-08-18
UNION LUBOR DOES NOT
LIKE TO HAVE STRIKE
Union Workingmen Know More
Than Any Others What Hard
Strike Costs,
Well Managed Labor 0rganiza-
ton Does Everything it Can
to Avert Strike.

pie who deplore "the necessity Of
more sincere in their regrets on this
subject than the experienced trades un-
unlonists. 1t Is they, If anybody, who
know what the strike means. It Is
they who suffer most when the strike
comes. The privations endured by
those on strike are enough sometimes,
to bring tears to the eyes of those
with the hardest hearts. Yet it is the
experienced unionist that Is ready to
strike, If strike it must be.
Strikes are bad things, but there are
some things that are worse than
strikes. 1t is worse to put up with
the awful conditions, now proven to
exist in the nteat packing industry,
for instance, than to suffer those con-
ditions to continue. The strike may
not accomplish all that was hoped for
but there is an old saying among union
people that mo strike is ever lost"
The strike may be lost temporarily, and
In way, but ultimately the strike
brin gs about a better state Of affairs
among those who do the work even
though they may be the very scabs
that were used to defeat the purpose
Of the union.
If the union never declared a strike,
1t would never command the least at
tention when asking for better wages.
sanitary reforms or shorter hours. It
is because it is known that they may
strike, and probably will strike, that
than q nnorinrr q
President Gompers sometimes illus
trates this by abiding to the irrepres-
sible small boy, m1schievously inclin-
ed, that in walking down the street
sees a poor Insignificant dog, basking
in the summer sun. Because the dos
Is small, and apparently i'll fed, the
boy deliberately hauls off and gives
him a kick that sends him bowling
with pain into the first alley he comes
to. But little further along he sees
a good fat dog, with heavy jaws and
teeth half exposed. ell does not kick
that dog. That dog might bite, and
probable would bite, if kicked, or If
he was threatened with a kick He
gives that dog a wide berth. He walks
clear around that dog, and may take
to the gutter himself in order to avoid
an unwelcome argument. So it is with
the poor little union. If it's members
are few and 1t Is poor in funds it is
very liable to get kicked, but on the
other hand If 1t includes in it's men,
bership a large proportion Of those en-
gagged In the trade, and has a good sup
ply of funds on hand. 1t Is very like
ly to be at least granted a conference
In that case there Is quite often
Something to arbitrate."
Some unions have lost strikes, and
then. went about it to work for them
selves, by building cooperative plants.
By granting union hours and wages
the other plants are eventually forced
to give the same concessions in order
to hold their competent help. The
other workers being given an object
lesson Of the advantages of organiza-
ton, join the union, and when the
next opportunity presents itself, the
union is better prepared to drive an
other stake on the skirmish line and
go to It,"
1t Is argued sometimes that the UNI
AOio SI1OuAO attempt W nave tneSe QueS~
tons settled by law. The unions have
tried all Of these schemes and most of
them have failed. The eight hour law
in Montana, Utah, Colorado and else
where was of no effect, until it was
enforced by resort to the strike. It
would have been cheaper and easier
to have spent the same time and
money. to say nothing Of energy, and
struck in the first place. In a recent
convention Of the American Federation
of Labor, delegate from the Cigar
makers International Union was
argueing along these lines, when First
President Duncan took occasion to re-
mark that 1T would be interesting to
have the brother from the cigarmakers
explain how they got the eight hour
day." He would have had to admit
that it was not by legislation, but by
thorough and systematic organization.
which sometimes resulted in a strike.
Compulsory arbitration is sometimes
recommended, but even that is a Door
substitute. Under the present system.
1T is almost impossible to get square