The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-03-31
UNION LABOR CRITICS
OVERLOOK SOME GOOD
Unions Are the Greatest Oper-
ating Force for Prevention
of Strikes.
Statistics Show That Strikes
Are Decreasing With In
creased Union Efforts.

IL IS u ldCl llAdl Ill some IfdQeS, Ill
fact, in all trades where a union con-
servatively and capably conducted
exists, such unions are the greatest
operating force for the prevention of
strikes, rather than the promotion of
them as is stated by malignant and
ignorant critics.
In those trades the old-time belief
that employers and employees are
deadly enemies is gradually being
supplanted by the belief that a
friendly relationship beween both is
essential.
Bettering the condition of the
wage workers is the primary object
OF trades-unions. The employer is
the barrier standing in the way of
improved conditions in many direc-
tinos and absolutely refuses to grant
or permit Improvements until suffi-
cient pressure is brought to bear on
| him to force concessions, but the
workers are themselves to blame
for not securing improvements in
other directions.
The process by which the condi-
tion Of the wage workers can be i'm
| proved and maintained must be slow
and gradual, but this Is not thorough
ly grasped by large number of
unionists
While Objectionable features are at
tached to the operations of unions
| they often outweigh the needed i'm
! provement sought and make the Sc
curing of those improvements far
more difficult.
With the steady perfection of Or
III
lures are being eliminated.
AS the newly formed, untried or
ganiza tions experience the hardships
and misery of ILL advised, premature
| and Wanton strikes and unrestrained
! action they will one by one join the
| class of conservative organizations
Labor leaders and prominent un-
| ionists are opposed to strikes and
boycotts, only as last resort, and
the history of all conservative unions
for the past decade has shown a
steady decrease in the number of
strikes and increased union effort to
that end.
Thus we find that although sup
! porting strikes or boycotts when all
other methods fail, one of the OBJ
jects of unions is to prevent strikes.
About every practical method that
the degee of Organization will pers
NIT is In vogue in the conservative
| union to prevent strife, hasty and
unstrained action by the Individual
or combination of members and pro-
mote good will between employer
and employees.
The work of labor unions is not
a purely selfish work in the interest
of their members only, but reacts to
the well-being Of all workers and the
great mass of the people. Their eff
forts are not confined to increasing
wages and shortening the work day,
but are devoted to all forms of public
improvement. They are in fact the
greatest public Improvement society
in existence, continually striving to
promote higher standard of citizen
ship and better world, not for one
element, but for all elements of So
ciety to live in.
From the child to the incapacitated
adult the benign efforts of labor un-
ions reach out Beginning with the
birth of the child the labor union ad-
vocates and demands laws that will
protect it against unsanitary tenement
| 1-oN NoAAAAeAoA1o anu 1IIPul dUulI0I-
ated food; sanitary shcool room con-
ditions and efficient educators at least
a common school education for all and
an age limit which they may 20 to
work without stunting their mental
and physical growth. After casting
lot in the work place the youth finds
the labor union advocating and striv-
! ing to secure the enactment of i'm
proved laws for the protection of his
life. limb and health; and when he
reaches old age he still finds the labor
union advocating homes, and in some
instances, supporting them for the aged
workers.
ne rt rr ,peteio, -and
Labor unions are the foes of pover-
" and Ignorance and never cease to
struggle to promote conditions of en-
llghtment and comfort for the masses
Aside from their struggle to improve
industrial and educational conditions
and secure laws protect life, limb and
health the labor union is public bene-
FACTOR IN other ways. 1t advocates
Fairgrounds, parks, recreation places
where the child, the toiler and the