The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-02-21
MENACE TO UNION|SM
Why Organized Labor Opposes
the Open Shop.
THE INDIVIDUAL CONTRACT.

| uhionist--Takes All, Gives Nothing.
In order to understand the attitude
of labor organizations toward the oper
shop 1t is essential that a clear com
prehension be had Of the fundamental
principle Of trades unionism.
A trades union in its usual form is ar
association Of workingmen who have
agreed among themselves not to bar
gain individually with the employers
but to agree to the terms OF a collec-
tive contract between the employer
and the union.
Trades unionism has grown out OF
the recognition Of the fact that under
normal conditions the individual unor-
ganIzed workman cannot bargain adj
yantageousIy with the employer for
the sale of his labor, and the funda.
/ mental reason for the existence of the
trades union is that by 1t and through
| 1t workingmen are enabled TO deal col
Iectively with their employers. Since
through the lack OF money In reserve
he must sell bis labor Immediately,
since he is ignorant of the market and
| has no skill In bargaining, since that
| which he sells is a part Of his very life
and soul and being. and since he has
only his own labor to sell, while the
employer engages hundreds or even
thousands OF men aud can easily do
without the services of a single indi-
vidual, the workingman, IL bargainin :
on his own account and for himself
alone, is at an enormous disadvantage
and will inevitably secure less than is
Justly due him.
The individual contract between em-
ployers and men means that the condi-
ton of the poorest and lowest paid
man In the industry is that which the
best man must accept. Therefore, from
first to last. always and everywhere.
trades unionism stands unalterably OPP
posed to this individual contract There
can be no concession or yielding upon
this point No momentary advantage,
however great, no increase In wages,
no reduction in hours, no improve
ment in conditions. viii permanently
compensate the workingman for even
a temporary surrender In any part of
this fundamental principle.
The great danger to the union lies IN
the fact that ordinarily a nonunionist
who Is not willing to pay dues is still
less unwilling to abide BY the union
scale ii 1t seems to bis advantage to
undercut II. While accepting union
wages when work is plenty, he will i'm
mediately disregard the scale when
work becomes more difficult to obtain.
The nonunion man thus receives all
the benefits Of the existence Of union
and at the same time the assurance of
his position Is rendered doubly sure at
the expense of the union which pro-
fects him.
II the trades union did not insist
upon enforcing common rules provid-
ing for equal pay for equal work and
definite conditions for safety and health
for all workers in the trade. the result
would be that all pretense Of joint
bargain would disappear and the EN-
ployers would be free constantly to
make individual contracts with the
workmen.
Tfnionists In general feel that as the
nonunionist obtains the advantage Of
al the sacrifices made by members of
tho union be should share in these
sacrifices. The belief Is that he who
reaps should sow It is peculiarly gall
ing to a trades union man to find that
the men who worked while be was
striking and possibly starving are the
first to gain by sacrifices which he aud
not they have made. Nevertheless to I
these men who have not struck. who
have not paid dues, who have borne no
share Of the expense either OF organ
ization or Of struggle. the union opens
wide its doors. At the eleventh hour
they are permitted to enter. usually
on the same terms as others. All that
is demanded is that 10 the future the
cost and burden of trades union man
agement and action shall be fairly 7
shared BY these men.
1t has been very apparent for some
time. however, that the question in
yolved is not so much the open or the
closed shop as it is the union or non
union shop Opposition to the closed
shop is merely a cloak to hide pro
anagonism to the organiza
ton OF labor The most ardent adyo
Gates Of the open shop-among them is
the president Of the National
Association Of Manufacturers-will not
permit a union man to work for them.
There are. OF course. exceptions to this
but generally speaking it
IS true. There should be some justif-
cation for the attitude of the advocates
Of the open shop IL the unions monopo
lied Industry, but as long as they con.
Einue to admit to membership any per
son working at the trade and admit
him upon the terms upon which those
already in were admitted there can be
30 monopoly. Mitchell.