Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1908-06-11
NON-UNION WORKERS
AND ORGANIZATION
Reasons For Combining Labor,
Power and Skill For the
Betterment of All.

ticle in the Cleveland Citizen have the
true ring and are worthy careful pc
rusal by non union workers every
where.
To the Non Union Workingman of all
Crafts and Trades:
During the past few months we have
heard great many complaints emana-
ting from Your side of the house. The
burden'of your grievance has been that
you were forced to accept reductions
of wages ranging from 10 to 80 per
cent. in some cases your hours of labor
were increased at reduced pay, and in
other instances you have been driven
to work harder than ever in order to
turn out larger product.
Naturally that means hard times for
you and yours Investigations Of pub
lie officials show that 95 per cent. of
the appeals for charity are made by
non union workers and that their liv-
ing conditions are in majority of cas-
es, most deplorable,
Who cares for your
Not the employers association or
corporation that you work for, not
those unorganized workers like your
self with whom you compete-in fact,
you do not even care for yourself. If
you did honestly and intelligently care
for yourself you would learn to think,
observe the conditions that surround
you, and join hands with your fellow
workers who are unorganized and assist
in overcoming the evils and disadvan-
tages of which you complain.
While your wages have been going
down and hours of labor were increas-
ed in many instances, the union men
have maintained their standard rates
of wages and hours, and you seldom
hear of an organized man running up
to the charitable associations begging
for assistance.
The union men maintain decent
working and living conditions because
they gave out the word good and solid
when the frenzied 6nanciers brought
on a panic last fall that they (the
workers) were not reponsible for the
money mad situation and would fight
to the last ditch before they would sur
render what they had gained after
hard struggling.
If you doubt our word ask the union
printers, cigar makers, plumbers, car
penters, steamftters, molders, brew
ers, tailors bricklayers, electricians,
musicians or any organized workers
whether their wages are not the same
as they were last fall. In fact, it is
these men who have money to spend
that keep business going, rather than
being dependent and clog on indus
try.
Today every student of economics,
every philosopher, every honest states
man and many employers admit the
necessity of labor organization, and
they frankly declare if they were il
the working class ranks they would
join trade unions.
Years ago Abraham Lincoln advised
the working men to organize times
without number, and Wendell Phillips
spoke at labor mass meetings.
VIM. E. Gladstone said that trade
unions are the bulwarks of democra
cies, " and the late Cardinal Manning
urged the workers to protect them
selves by joining trade unions.
Prof. J. Thorold Rogers, of the chai
of political economy in Oxford Univer
sity, who made a careful investigation
of the records of labor conditions or 81.
centuries, said: II look to trade un
ions as the principal means of benefit
ing the conditions of the workingclass
as.
We are prepared to prove
That the unions raise wages. TIL
evidence is overwhelming.
That they prevent reductions of wa
ges Present conditions substantial
the fact.
That they reduce the hours of labor
Unorganized trades work the longes
hours.
That they aid the unemployed to Sc
cure work The non unionists receiv
no such assistance.
That they provide for the sick an
help the widow and orphan.
That they are unequivoccally oppo,
I'd 10 child labor in any form.
That they strive 10 secure the sam
compensation for women received b
men for the same work performed.
That they are helpful 10 the famil
by gaining the best possible terms ol
tainable under present conditions.
That unions are respected. Powt
wins respect from everybody.
That they reduce excessive an
wastcful competition.
That they educate the workers upo
public questions.
That they ncuIcate iudependen,
and frown upon servility
That they develop the spirit Of fri
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