The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1909-12-04
Are Trades Unions
Beneficial in Operations?

ARE TRADE UNIONS BENEFICIAL?
The following correspondence will
be self-explanatory to those who take
the time to read it:
Weeping Water. Neb., November
1S.-To the Editor of The Wage
worker: Please send me information
concerning the subject. Resolved,
That trades unions are on whole
beneficial" to be used in a High
School debate.
MABEL MURTEY.
Lincoln. Neb. November 25.-Miss
Mabel Hurley. Weeping Water, Ne
braska:
Pardon me, please, for not making
earlier reply to your favor of Nov. IS.
But l have just returned from long
business trip which kept me away
from the Office nearly three weeks,
and I return to find my desk simply
loaded down with mail. However,
will do the best l can to give you
few pointers concerning the subject
you mention. OF course take 1t for
granted you want me to speak in the
affirmative-for really l can not con-
slider how any one can argue in the
negative of that question.
But you ask me to perform big
task when you ask me to give you
some pointers on that subject. 1t is
one of the biggest subjects now con-
cerning the public mind. am en-
closing a small leaflet written and
issued by Louis F. Post of Chicago,
and from it you may be able to CLEAN
some valuable pointers.
Trades unions are beneficial for
many reasons. First they look after
the sick and incapacitated, pay out-of-
work benefits. look after the widows
and orphans of deceased members
and bury their dead. They have
been the prime movers in securing all
laws calculated to safeguard the life
and limb of workers. They stand be-
tween the incapacity Of the individ-
ual wage Garner and the greed of the
luuiNluu6l VI COIPOAaIC GuPAoyCh. ~
bringing about concerted action
among the workers they have gradu-
ally increased the wage level while
reducing the number OF hours work
per day. The shorter work day is
beneficial for many reasons: Q the
shorter work day means that more
men must be employed in order to per-
form the worlds work. thereby fur
nishing employment to more men and
providing for the comfort of more
wives and children; (2) the shorter
work day also makes for more efficient
service, statistics showing that 7S per
cent OF accidents in mills factories
and mines occur after the eighth hour
thus showing that decreased mental
and nervous force brought about by
continued strain, operates to the dis
advantage of both employe and EN-
ployer
Again, unions are beneficial because
they mean collective bargaining
which means that the conscienceless
employer cannot as fully take advan
tage of a workers condition as he
could were that worker not supported
by his fellows. Unions safeguard life
and health by enforcing decent sani
tary surroundings in the factory
Unions benefit women especially be
cause they insist upon equal pay fol
equal work. There is no sex distinc
tion in the trades union movement
the woman printer who performs the
same work as the male printer, re
ceives the same rate of pay. This Ii
not true in any unorganized industry
The trades unions teach loyalty ant
patriotism; they inculcate love o
home and teach men the obligation
they owe to their fellows. have beel
watching the trend of events for man.
years, and I have no hesitancy in say
ing that the trades unions of thi
country are doing more to promot'
the cause of true temperance than an,
other agency. They are doing NOR
practical work of charity - whicl
means work of love-than any othe
institution on earth-that work bein
made up OF deeds. not mere worods
This fact is evidenced by the report
of charity organizations. which are
unit in declaring that their applics
tions for help from union men or thei
families are SO few as to be pract
cally negligible quantity.
1 could continue at great lengt
concerning the benefits of trade
unions. but time is limited. You vii
find this fertile field for investigs
tion, and | assure you that you coul
do no more useful work in this lif
than to devote your time. your enel
gies and your talents to the organize