Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-19
VIEWPOINT OF LABOR
Discussion of the Open Shop
and Unionism.
REVIEW OF DIFFERENCES
Conference to BE Held Between
Bricklayers and Employers.
ALLEGED TO BE Discomfort
Some Members Said to Favor Imme-
diate Adjustment With Bosses.
Others Remain Obdurate.
ALLEGED TO BE Discomfort


so far as the bricklayers are concerned.
seems to have reached the acute stage.
according to statements made last night
among members of the craft. The an
nouncement was made by an officer Of the
bricklayers' union that a conference will
be held at O'Clock this afternoon be-
tween committee of the union and the
employers. and that some results are
looked for at it's close.
A member of the union stated that there
is discomfort among certain members Of
the organization. and that the union ap-
pears to be divided. into two factions-one
said to be in favor of arriving at some
agreement with the employers. while the
other is for holding out to the bitter
end and presenting an unyielding front
against the open shop.
Mr.. M. r. Grady. repres enta i've of
the Bricklay ers and Masons' In; e"national
Union. who is here representing that body
In the present contest. gave a statement
to The Star last night in which he says:
The open Shopper, as 1t should be
termed. the non-union shor-as applied to
the bricklayer Or mason is impossible of
realization. and the employers who pro-
Tess the intention of applying it TO or
trade we'll know 1T cannct be applied.
Non-Unionism Defined.
The non-un:on shop theory is one of
those elusive chimeras which hobs up
from time to time and gains adherents
because of it's novelty. To the practical
man. be he employer or workman. it is
Of 1t. its advocates point to the arbitrary
actions OF trade unions and seek to justi
fy putting 1t into operation by crit .cising
an institution which the leading men Of
the nation have come to regard as a ne
cessity, industrially. While they tell you
the safety Of all. even Of the union guilty
of the overt action. demands condemna-
ton. they fail most pointedly to tell Of
the many good features inseparable from
the trade union movement.
Nothing is said of the fraternal spirit
engendered; no reference made to the sick
and death benefits paid by the unions.
The unity and brotherliness brought into
activity by the union is passed over. and
the continued and concentrated efforts to
improve the conditions of the toiler is
ignored.
who are promoting the agitation for
the abolition of the sweatshop: of the
regulation of children's EMPLOYMENT: of
sanitary workshops, and the many other
measures looking to the material eleva-
ton Of the race? Is it fair to condemn
the trade union movement whose avowed
object Is the raising Of the standard Of
Of its many branches have wandered from
the direct path?
Organization Welcomed.
"As rule large employers of labor well
come organization among their employees.
for experience has taught them it Is
safer and better to deal with an organi-
zation than to deal with individuals. The
individual may break his bargain and es-
cape the consequences. but to the credit
Of the tradess union movement there is
hardly case on record where an organi-
zation failed to carry out it's part of a
bargain to the letter. This is state
ment that cannot be cOntradicted. Trades
unionism. properly understood. is not
distinctive factor in securing better con-
dttions for all, even for the non-unonist
and it makes for higher citizenship and
incidentally the perpetuation of the re-
public.
so much for trades unionism Now let
us see what the nOn-un,On or open-ShOp
propaganda offers. 1t means employees
will be dealt with individually. destroying
the guarantee that agreements be not
violated. While the advocates of this
system loudly profess their patriotism to
the nation they are trying to bring about
a condition of industrial serfdom. They
insist the workmen have the option of
belonging to the union or not, as he sees
TT, but are they consistent when they
make 1t SO that all in their particular line
of business have membership in their or
ganizatiOn? It's a poor rule which won't
work both ways. Why don't they go on
as individuals?
Queries Propounded.
"The time is past when any propa-
ganda having for it's object the lowering
Of mans dignity or his Industrial en-
slavement can succeed. and logically re-
dueed. this is plainly the mission of the
open shop. Suppose this system to be in
operation. How would employers know
the wage scale of any craft? Would
the wage scale be regulated as per in
dividual also? If so. wouldn't that be
without system and lead to confusion?
Perhaps 1T is contemplated the en-
ployerS fix. through their organization,
rates Of wages Of the several trades.
What guarantee would they have Of be-
ing outbidden when labor was in de-
mand?
The wage scale being in doubt. what
basis would contractors have for eStt-
mating on work? So far as the labor
part is concerned there would be no sys
tenn at all.
But they say they must and shall
run their own business. They will not
be dictated to by the union. This is
simply an evasion. No union wants to
run any employers business.
You cannot legislate men into any
thing approaching the angelic but 1T is
we'll known a disconnected rabble may
be dangerous. The workman of today
may be an employer next week: Let
nothing interrupt this possibility.