The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-06-16
CARP|NG CRITICS AND. .
REAL WORK Or UNIONS
Too Many People Believe That
Trade Unions Are Identical
With Strikes.
They Are Almost Completely
Ignorant Of Causes Which
Give Unions Birth.

TO many people the trades-unions
are Identical with strikes. They con.
slider them simply as strike machines
organized for that purpuose and in
separable from violence and law
breaking. They are almost completes
ly ignorant of the causes which give
birth to trades-unions and their real
unions or the work they are carrying
on and were it not for the occasional
labor dispute that comes within their
limited observation they would not
know that such thing as a. trades
union existed. Every strike and every
thing Incidental to it is laid at the
door Of the unions. Trades-unions
are not organized to strike any more
than they are organized to secure in
dustrial improvements in all direc-
tions, public improvements, better
laws, better sanitary conditions, better
schools, a higher school age limit for
children, or anything that they see
clearly to be promotive to the COM
mon welfare
Averting strikes In the face of
economic conditions that make them
imperative in the absence of any other
practical remedy OF .e1ief, occupies
to a vastly greater extent the energies
and resources OF trades-unions. The
strike is compulsory weapon COM
mony employed as last resort by
organized labor generally and always
as last resort by the Older and con-
seravtively conductor trades unions.
AS a matter Of fact the latter does
not employ it until the refusal of the
employers to meet them on any fair
basis of settlement drives them to it.
The strike eve nthe sympathetic
strike is right organized labor will
not and cannot afford to surrender. It
would be folly to do so while the
sympathetic lockout, blacklist and the
full array of employers sympathetic
weapons are leveled against It and
efforts to improve economic conditions.
Nevertheless it does voluntarily fur
render this right through the arbitra-
ton agreement, as we'll as other rights
which through force Of necessity, it
Is compelled to exercise during periods
of hostility. Bad economic conditions
are the breeders of trades-unions.
Many unions have grown out of
strikes declared and prosecuted for
better economic conditions The union
became a reality after is was clearly
seen by the strikers tAat organizat ton
was necessary to combat the condi-
tions that oppressed them.
Trades unions are the machinery by
which the workers seek to improve
economic conditions. 1t is only per-
1odical1y that they indulge in the
strike, and in comparison with the
time and work devoted to improving
economic conditions by peacefI
means, the time and work devoted to
strikes are slight.
|. Almost all trades unions advocate
the trade agreement but the number
of employers who do is proportionately
slight. little study would prove
highly instructive to those people who
attach the blame for all strikes, or
so-called labor disturbances of any
description, to the trades-unions. Dur
ing the twenty years ending with
1900 the Department Of Labor &C.
credits organized labor with being the
1nitiators of only fraction over
sixty-three per cent. Of the strikes and
labor disturbances that took place
Even If these figures are accepted as
being absolutely correct it is seen
that organized labor was far from
| being the initiators of all the strikes
! those same strikes or disturbances
! may have been ordered by organized
| labor many Of them were initiated by
employers. In other words the actions
Of the employers, previous to the
action of organized labor, left no other
course open to the latter. The strike
will be employed by trades-unions
| when there is no other course oper
to them, and If labor was thoroueh.
1y organized the strike, perhaps under
different name, would extend to the
social and political field or in al
directions where systems existing a.,
the time menace the common welfare
Strikes are going on continuously ir
all the different spheres of human
activity-the financial, religious, poll
tfcal and social fields. This is evil
denced ythe perpetual strike at an6
against Wall street and other center,
| of stock gambling; the strike Of Law
| son and others against the STANDARD
Oil Company; thet stril%> that is bound
to come against Bigelow, that bank
president embezzler Of millions of dol.
lars of the peoples money, and other.
OF his like; the strike of the clergy
men against the Rockefeller rift
There are strikes ogo1ng on all tn,
time In the political, social and flnan.
cial worlds accompanied by more Law
breaking than the strikes of labor
! The strikers in political, social ant
financial worlds give their struggle.
; different name and claim they EN-.
! ploy lawful methods. We don't hav,
to Investigate political, financial and
society's organizations very deeply t.
find that the law, it's principles ant
purposes are evaded and violated If
intent and act. Trades-unions as sucl
do not transgress the law, neither dc
| they advocate or sustain law break.
| ing. They do not exercise any contro
over the Individual outside Of thei1
own sphere and consequently are no.
! responsible for him.