The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-02-02
LABOR UNION HISTORY
BRINGS BACK MEMORY
Evening Herald Gives Very
Accurate Account of His
tory Of Local Labor.
Tells Of Early Struggle. Of
Union Labor and Its Fight
For Public Recognition.


For Public Recognition.
| Duluth, at the present time, Is con-
s1dered to be one Of the best organized
and strongest unionized cities In the
country. according to the labor lead
| ers.
It has two strong central labor bod
les ana these are supported by nearly
| 5000 sturdy union men Of many diff
terent trades and crafts. The story
Of the organization Of these two GEN.
trail bodies and the history of their ups
ana downs, is an interesting one.
The first labor organization In Du-
luth were formed as far back as 1886,
at the time when the o-called Knights
, OF Labor was an institution extending
over the whole country The local or
gan1zations were formed under char
ter from this national association Of
the knights Of Labor and fourished
Tor time. But the Knights Of Labor
was more Of a political organization
IMAM one to promote the welfare Of
labor, and on this account it was dis
But during that year the trades I'M
ions had been organized in Duluth in
great numbers and. after the Knights
Of Labor organization went under, the
local unions still progressed independ-
emily under the guidance Of their own
national and International associa-
tons. More unions continued to be
| organized until at the end Of the year
the majority Of all the trades in the
city were under the rule Of these or
ganizations.
LAS the strength Of the union move
ment Increased the different labor
leaders got together and decided that
a central labor body, in which all Of
the local unions should have repre-
sentation, was needed. The Duluth
Trades assembly was the result and
practically all OF the local trades were
represented and contributed to it's sup
port. The first president OF the trades
assembly was Joseph Mannheim. who
was afterwards elected an alderman
He died about two years ago.
After the disintegration Of the ma
t1onal association Of Knights Of Labor.
the American Federation of Labor was
organized and has since been the con-
trolling factor Of American labor un-
ions; Trades unions all over the
country took membership in the new
national organization and the Duluth
locals were among these. For about
four years the union. movement prog
ressed Satisfactorily and harmoniously
In this city. There were few strikes
fh0
gain in strength.
About 1890, a split occurred in the
trades assembly and two different fac
lions wer formed, each having about
equal strength. Owing to Disagree
ment the building trades, which had
membership in the trades assembly.
became dissatisfied and finally, after
many wordy wars at the assembly
meetings. they pulled out and formed
separate body. This new central
body was known as the Duluth Build
Ing Trades council and was the be-
ginning Of what Is now known as the
building structural alliance.
For time these two central organ
izations fought each other at every
turn and as the different local unions.
having membership in the central bod
les took sides against each other, the
labor movement in Duluth suffered
considerably. This condition Of affairs
| continued for about two years and
| then the labor leaders got together
and declared peace between the trades
| assembly and the building trades
council.
The unions Of the building trades
| which had seeded from the trades
| assembly decided to come back into
the fold, and from that time the name
Of the central body was known as tho
Duluth Federated Trades and Labor
Assembly. This organization has re-
manned practically intact since that
time. Maurice Griffin. member Of the
Plumbers union, and formerly build
| ing trades council leader, was chosen
the first president of the reconstructed
| trades assembly.
Since then the following members of
the different trades have been elected
to the presidents chair: Gustaf Oh
son, Stonecutters' union, 1894; Alfred
MlcCallum, cigarmaker, 1895; Charles
Thomas, street car conductor, part Of
1896; w. E. McEwen, plumber, 1897
and 1898; Edward Kriz, boilermaker,
| 1899; John McMurchy, laundrywork-
ers, 1900; Arthur Jones, cigarmaker,
! 1901; Geo. M. Davis, carpenter, 1902;
Henry Pereault, cigarmaker, 10000:
Joseph Shartell, cigarmaker, 1905 and
! 1906, and w. ]. Hunt, electrical work.
er, who holds the position at present.
The largest membership at any time
in the history Of the trades assembly
| was gained by the organization during
the years 1897 and 1898, during the
administration Of President w. Il. Nc
! EVEN. At that time there were several
excellent speakers who were members
! Of the assembly, and the meetings
| were warm and interesting. Debates
on the various subjects concerning the
| working man in Duluth, and subjects
Of national interest were held by the
members. Prior to 1894 representa-
tives of the local newspapers were not
admitted to the meetings, but in that
year it was decided to admit them on
condition that they would not color
the facts and would give a fair report
| ~ $A> ~~oonn5l~a,~s al <ho voonfly,