The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-12-01
Agreement Insures Peace and
Contentment in Trade Dur
ing Its Life.

and stability, and in giving the unions
standing which enables them to take
part In determining wage rates and
snop conditions without continual re-
course TO strikes and the expenditure
OF large sums for carrying on an in
austr1al warfare, 1t is most essential
mat they should indicate a determine
at1on to at all times comply with the
terms Of their contract.
The most successful trade unions to-
day are those who believe in trade
agreements, and who furthermore be-
lleve In maintaining discipline so eff
1ect1ve that no member, or group of
r'~ RS, can violate them with i'm
last few years the Boot and
:rkers' Union has been making
h1i -apid progress In. it's relations
with the employers, and today 1t has
trade. agreements with about $50 manu-
facturers. From a weak organization,
With an uncertain membership, it has
grown to be powerful body, which to-
day has greatly improved the condi-
lions of thousands Of shoemakers.
In several instances the radical act
ion OF its members has brought the
trade agreement into disrepute with the
manufacturer, for, notably, in Brocton,
Mass, and Chicago, members working
under agreements, struck the factor
les without the sanction of their offlc-
es and In direct violation Of their trade
contracts with the manufacturer,
This provided that there should be no
strike or lockout during the life of the
agreement, and that all questions
which could not be settled between
the employer and the employees
should be adjusted by arbitration.
Owing to such action several large
manufacturers declined to enter into
further agreements, holding that the
members of the Boot and Shoe Work.
er's Union were irresponsible and that
the discipline and authority Of the ma
tonal union was too weak to enable it
to enforce it's agreements.
The officers who had endeavored to
prevail upon the members to immed-
lately return to work and submit the
point in dispute to arbitration were
accused by them of not having an
interest in the unions, welfare and OF
being: too friendly with the manufact-
urer. -
Fortunately for the future welfare Of
the organization, it's officers, In adj
dition to their ability. had a high re-
gard for business honesty as applied to
a trade union, and refused to tolerate
the actions Of the radical and IRE
sponsible element in the ranks, who
were willing to sacrifice the work of
years and the reputation of their Or
ganization, and throw their own laws
to the Winds to crafty rnomentary
impulse
At their recent convention President
John F. Tobin, in his report, said with
reference to this subject:
"Of all the questions that will come
before this convention, nothing is Of
whether legislation shall be adopted
which is calculated to make our con-
tracts secure, and thereby place our
selves in a position to exact strict COM
pliance with our contracts upon the
part Of employers. It Is useless for us
to hope that any substantial degree of
organization can be secured and MAIN
tanned unless our contracts are beyond
question as to their reliability. We
must reach that higher standard of
union principle under which the men,
bers will spontaneously and enthusi-
astically rally to the support Of our
contracts.
"The same element within our own
organization that criticises the enor-
nous expenditure Of funds in the Lynn
&c hot
ment that can find an excuse for con-
tract violation, and their reason for
falling to protect our contracts.
"While it Is important that we
should have large funds available for
the protection Of our contracts, what
We need still more is a larger loyal
ty to the organization, and to its
agreements, and this will make it I'M
necessary to spend our funds. In the
| protection of our contracts when as
sailed by enemies either from within
or without.
II am convinced that the only prac-
tical way to sustain our contracts is to
provide in this convention for pen
atty fixing a fine to operate automat-
ically and at once when a strike oc-
ours in violation to our contracts. We
| believe that legislation of this kind
will save us large sums Of money. and
maintain for us a high standard for
| business integrity, because our con-
tracts will not be violated. as our
friends as we'll as our enemies will
appreciate our ability to defeat any
attempts made to destroy the validity
of our agreements.
UNLESS this convention can see its
way to amend our constitution in or
der to provide for this. contract in
surance in no uncertain way, can-see
nothing in the way of further substan-
tial progress for our union; and Ger
| tainly we can never :, achieve that
degree of organization and standing In
the shoe trade which will make for the
security of employment. higher wages
and shorters hours. r.
"while have unbounded faith in the
organization, and plenty Of. courage to
do my part in. promoting it's welfare
T. have no desire to undertake what