The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1906-11-08
On an Average They Labor sixtyFive Hours a Week for verv
Small Wages.
THEIR WAGES NOT SUFFICIENT TO SUSTAIN THEW
ne oalafy OF Every Woman Belonging to a Labor Organization is
from Is to 50 Per Cent. More Than Those Working in the
Open Factories and Shops of the Country TODAY.
Small Wages.

iN SllOtlu
organize? was asked me the
other day. Since then I cannot get
the thought from my mind and
many are the answers. that
could be given to that rittle2uuery.
Let us look at the poor girls that
work in the various stores asclerks.
working for $500 per week to be,
gan with until they have raised
their salary to about $500 per
week. They are getting about as
much rs they can ever expect ana
thlnk OF all the hours they must
work for these few dollars. On
II average they labor about Go
per week. Why, these are
starvation wages. And / can say
conscientiously that no woman can
support herself on such wages if
She must board and clothe herself.
Yet if you speak to those very
sisters and try to show themb by be-
ing thoroughly organized they can
better their conditions they look at
you as II you We're asking them to
commit a crime.
On the other hand if one gets a
glimpse of the sweat shops it chills
II to the heart to see filth and
poor ventilation. Poor. women they
40 lot know that the very work
they arc performing is about one.
fourth the price the contractor IS
receiving for it. And there the
abuse they arc subjected to. Why,
If they were taught what it meant
to be organized, to have your price
list agreed upon for one year, and
working hours reduced to s hours
per day, the factory III clean, sani-
tary condition and When 4 new gar
ment is to be made for employer to
come to his employees and submit
it to them and together they set
a price that is satisfactory to both
parties. If the working women
would only stop and think of these
things.
The salary every woman belong
ing to an organization is from 25 to
per cent. more than those work.
ing in open factories. l wonder,
after studying these things would
they still hesitate if you would ask
them to join your organization.
But the minute the employer sees
his people r getting educated
then he will discharge the strongest.
amongst them and the remainder
are III such fear that they do not
dare to insist on the demands or in
which was asked.
The majority of women do not
intend to work all their lives in a
store or factory, and will not pay
the attention to better conditions
that their fellow workers, the men.
do. Now, the man knows he must
work at his trade or craft as long
as he is able, unless he has the
good fortune to fall heir to some
wealth. Therefore his whole aim
is to better his own as well as the
conditions of his fellow workers as
much as he possibly can And
alone no man can succeed. There
fore his motto reads F: 'In Union we
stand, Alone we fall.'
Could the working women of to-
day only realize how much they
could gain in unions they would
stand with their shoulders to the
wheel. What a mighty victory.
there would be. if women in all
the different walks oflife would or
ganize and show their brother work
ingmen that they, too, deman equal
wages for the same work. When
that time comes the women will not
be looked down at as the weak e X
Nay, they then could strike for
wages and shorter hours. and
declare, we no longer are weak.
these are u demands and we in
slst upon their enforcement.