Daily Arizona silver belt. (Globe, Gila County, Ariz.) 1906-1929, 1908-11-21
THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF
LABOR


LABOR
The American Federation of Labor
has grown in dozen years from mem
bership of 264,s25 to a membership of
1,586,885. 1t has afiliated with it IFS
international unions representing as
many crafts, and including 2s,7o0 SUI
coordinate local unions. In addition
there are 583 local unions under the di-
rect administration Of the federation,
these being composed Of scattered
trades not yet organized into national
unions. The local unions are co-ordi-
mated into central labor unions in the
cities, and into state declarations, and
these bodies are also afiliated with the
national federation. During the past
year the federation has expended an in
come OF approximately 100000, of
which some $4,000 went to the support
Of fifty paid organizers of whom sew
enteen received salaries and allowances
exceeding $1,000 each. There is now
in the treasury defense fund of $685.
2s2 available for strike purposes.
Thus the federation is a formidable
and influential organization, attesting
the solidarity of labor organizations III
pursuit of the main purpose for which
they are formed, namely, the equaliza-
ton Of their bargaining power with that
of their employers, the securing of bet
ter wages and conditions of employ
ment, and assistance to their members
in sickness and death and in periods Of
idleness. But the Federation of Labor
aims also to exert an effective influence
over the course of legislation affecting
the interests of manual workers, and
has been instrumental in advancing a
number of reforms. AS the economic
and political programme of the feder-
alton leaders has been Endorsed by the
Denver convention, it becomes of inter.
est to inquire what that program is. So
far as politics is concerned the fedora
ton plan is to induce as many of its
members as possible to vote for or
against the friends or enemies of the
particular legislation desired by it. The
efforts of the federation, If they con-
tinue to be controlled by the present
officers, as is likely, will be concentrat-
ed on an amendment of the Sherman
antitrust law, so as to exempt trade
unions from the operation of that law,
and upon legislation forbidding the use
Of the injunction in disputes between
employer and employee. The issues in
volved in these demands are familiar
through discussion of them in the recent
presidential campaign, and need not
be enlarged on here further than to say
that great emphasis was laid upon them
by Mr.. Gompers in his annual address
at Denver, where he declared them to
be of transcendent importance. In
addition to the legislation just men,
toned, the federation will continue to
doh iiVlH SouBAOSS dCtlOu upOu tucSS
propositions:
Amendment of the eight hour law,
so as to extend its provisions to all gov
eminent employees and to the employees
ofc contractors and subcontractors do
ing work for or on behalf of the gov.
ernment
"a law to regulate the labor of con-
victs, that the states may protect their
free citizens from the unfair compet-
ton of the products of convict labor.
General employers liability law.
ga law to protect American work
men from the wholesale and unrestriet.
ed migration of foreign workmen who
are brought to our country to lower the
American standard of life.
ga law that shall safeguard not only
American workers, but AUericaH eivili-
cation from all Asiatic Immigration.
"a law creating Department of La
Dor independent of any other depart
ment of the government with secre-
tary at its head who shall have a seat
in the presidents cabinet, on an equal
ity with the secretaries of all other de-
partments, and who, in the presidents
councils, may have the opportunity to
advise a rightful course and to say the
right word at the right time for the
men and women of labor of our country,